Labour holidays for participating in polling

An electoral worker assembles a voting station at a school in Brasilia, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014. (Photo: AP) Kurnool: The Labour department has announced April 26, May 7, and May 13 as paid holidays for workers and employees of Andhra Pradesh, and migrated from Telangana and Karnataka, enabling them to participate in the voting process. Deputy commissioner of Labour K. Venkateshwarlu stated that the labour commissioner issued these orders.

66 candidates file nominations in Kurnool and Nandyal districts

In Kurnool, two independent candidates and a candidate from the All People's Party filed nominations for the LS segment, while in Nandyal, two independents, one from the Congress, and another from the Chetivruttula Ikya Vedika submitted their nominations

'Will waive farm loans by Aug 15,' reiterates Telangana CM Revanth

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday dared pink party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao and former minister T Harish Rao to dissolve the BRS if the Congress government waives farm loans up to `2 lakh by August 15. I will implement crop loan waiver by August 15, even if the earth and sky turns upside down or even KCR hangs himself in the farmhouse. Now, I am challenging you (Harish Rao) and your uncle (KCR). Will you dissolve your party if I implement farm loan waiver by August 15? Revanth asked. He also asked bankers not to harass farmers to return loans. The chief minister was countering Harishs challenge to implement the farm loan waiver that the Congress had promised in the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2023. 'Promise to waive crop loans by Aug 15 or resign,' Harish challenges Telangana CM His counter came during Lok Sabha campaign rallies at Kodangal and Nagarkurnool. Revanth was campaigning in Kodangal Assembly segment as part of his focus on winning the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat. He asked the voters of Mahbubnagar district to not get carried away by the BJPs divisive agenda and maintain religious harmony. The CM also said that the state treasury had a negative balance of `3,900 crore, and his government has now paid `25,000 crore in interest alone for the loans taken by the previous BRS regime. BJP will create some issues between Hindu and Muslims to get benefits in elections. But remember this, ultimately, we have to continue living in harmony even after elections, the chief minister cautioned. Asking the people of Palamuru and leaders cutting across the parties to set aside political agendas in favour of development, he said that Mahbubnagar has got an opportunity in the form of the CMs post and is in a position to give funds to people instead of begging. He also urged his political opponents to stop the attempts to obstruct him. Promising to complete all pending irrigation projects, Revanth said: My aim is to develop Mahbubnagar district. After suffering poll debacle, injury, KCR is clueless about his future: CM Revanth

Palegars Faction Feud Turning Old Story in Seema Politics

Anantapur: The centuries-old faction rivalry in Palegar is largely a thing of the past today, with attempts being made by some leaders for compromises and deals with their enemies, so as to eschew violence at various levels in Rayalaseema region. They are following the footsteps of the leaders from faction-hit families, who kept their children away from such practices. Thousands of children with faction backgrounds have changed course, abhorred violence and are now employed as software engineers or are handling white collar jobs in respectable professions. This has prompted the elders too to keep themselves away from faction rivalry during the past decade. Even top leaders like Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, Kethineni Suryaprathap Reddy, Paritala, Maddelacheruvu Suri, Ramsubba Reddy, Adinarayana Reddy, and the Katasani family shunned faction rivalry and succeeded in persuading their followers to not get involved in faction feud. This changed for the better the lives of hundreds of faction-hit families. Faction violence had its roots in medieval history after the chieftains (palegars) of various villages and forts became independent rulers since 1565. This was after the Talikota battle, when faction rivalries had polluted the political system in the region. Faction leaders turned themselves into political leaders to outwit their rivals. Compromise deals and an urge on the part of some faction leaders to work in the same party along with rival leaders eventually led to a decline in faction feud even in the villages where the rivalries were often hard-edged. Top-level leaders realised that faction feud must be stopped at some level through compromise and this also involved, say, pardoning a rival who killed ones family members. For instance, former chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy never encouraged his aides to target those who had brutally killed his father, YS Raja Reddy, two decades ago. Recently, Sathish Reddy, TD leader from Pulivendula, who faced allegations in the case, joined the YSRC in the presence of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Pulivendula. The wheel has turned full circle. Jammalamadugu, a hard-core faction-hit area in Kadapa district, is an example of a compromise deal between rival faction leaders. The two and half decades-long rivalry between the families of former minister P Siva Reddy and his adversary Devagudi Sankar Reddy had spawned many violent incidents. P Ramasubba Reddy, a TD leader, had been convicted in a double-murder case during the Congress rule. He was an active leader of the YSRC. Former minister Adinaryana Reddy joined the TD but he is now contesting as the BJP candidate in Jammalamadugu. Kapatralla, a prominent faction village in Kurnool district, was adopted by the police some time ago. It yielded results and faction groups were being weaned away from rivalries. They are now concentrating their energies on the regions development. Dharmavaram MLA, K Venkatrami Reddy, an engineering graduate, had entered politics after his father Sureedu was hacked by rivals at Tadipathri. His uncle K Pedda Reddy, sitting MLA from Tadipathri, who was also maintaining a distance from faction rivalry, said the family had suffered a lot with faction feud in the past, and we will not encourage anyone to continue with such a mindset. The faction feuds in the region had led to the introduction of land mines, TV bombs, car bombs, ice cream bombs and high-end weapons like Ak-47 along with the traditional hunting sickles and crude bombs in the past four decades after such rivalries took on a political colour. The political links were flimsy in a majority of the cases. Factionists developed themselves as constituency level leaders and were elected as MLAs and MPs in course of time. Records say that at least 2000 men from the Congress, TD and other parties had been killed in the last four decades in Rayalaseema region. Analysts say faction culture was majorly suppressed for a decade and such instances are confined to only a few areas now. The elders, mostly Reddys, Kammas and Boyas, woke up to the consequences of faction rivalry and succeeded in providing quality education to their children. Most of them completed engineering graduation and settled in the software industry in Bengaluru or Hyderabad during the past decade. The victims are voluntarily engaging in the spread of awareness against faction fued in the villages. We are conducting such campaigns at all faction-hit villages, stated Appireddy Harinath Reddy, writer. Four children from Tagarakunta Prabhakars faction-hit family from Kanganipalle, completed education and got employment as software engineers. They are away from such activities of the past.

Hyderabad: State Braces for Thunderstorms and Escalating Heatwave Conditions

Hyderabad: The state has been placed on alert by meteorologists who forecast a series of severe weather events over the next five days, beginning with thunderstorms and culminating in intense heat waves across multiple districts. According to the Indian Meteorological Department-Hyderabad (IMD-H), Wednesday will see a continuation of thunderstorms in Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal and Nizamabad districts, though with slightly reduced wind speeds of 30-40 kmph. A yellow alert for heat wave conditions is forecast in the southern districts of Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet, and Jogulamba Gadwal. For April 25 and 26, the focus would shift from thunderstorms to worsening heat wave conditions, the IMD-H said. The affected areas will broaden to include Suryapet, Mahbubabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, and Mulugu districts. Residents in these areas were advised to avoid outdoor activities during peak heat hours and stay hydrated. The most severe conditions are expected on April 27, with an orange warning issued for extreme heat in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, and Suryapet. The surrounding districts will continue to experience significant heat under a yellow warning. Nidamanoor in Nalgonda recorded the highest temperature of 45.1C on Tuesday, followed by Bhadradri Kothagudem at 44.9C. Banjara Hills recorded the highest temperature of 43C in Hyderabad as against 38.4C being the highest temperature in the city last year on April 23.

Cong Attacks on KCR, Who Is Unwell, Are Painful: KTR

Hyderabad: BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday accused Congress leaders of mounting pointed and painful attacks on 75-year-old party president K. Chandrashekar Rao at a time when he is not in the best of health. Rama Rao was addressing a meeting of party leaders at Alampur where he called on them to work for the victory of R.S. Praveen Kumar, the party candidate from Nagarkurnool. On the one hand our party president KCR garu is not in good health after the accident he had. On the other, his daughter, and my sister Kavitha, was arrested by Modi. It is under such circumstances when the party is facing great troubles that Praveen Kumar came into our party. He is a leader who despite an invitation to join the Congress, turned it down and joined the BRS. As an officer, he served society in an exemplary manner. Imagine what he can achieve as a public representative, Rama Rao said. Attacking the Congress and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, he said people should ask themselves whether a man who promised he will waive farm loan on day one and now says he will do so by August 15, should be trusted. He also said the people were very angry with the Congress government for not keeping its promises. Now Revanth Reddy was talking about religion, hoping he could get votes at least in this manner, Rama Rao said.

Saleshwaram To Be Added to Eco Tourism Circuit in Amrabad Tiger Reserve

Hyderabad: Saleshwaram, a holy site for Chenchus deep in the Nallamala forests, will soon be on the ecotourism and wildlife safari circuit in the Amrabad tiger reserve. Saleshwaram, with a tiny Lord Lingamaiah temple deep in a gorge lined by a waterfall, is hugely popular. For three days a year in April coinciding with Chaitra Purnima, it is thronged by tens of thousands of people for the Saleshwaram Jatara. The Jatara began on Monday and this year we expect some 1.5 lakh visitors and pilgrims, Rohit Gopidi, the Nagarkurnool district forest officer said. The jatara, originally a traditional Chechu tribal festival, over the years has been attracting huge crowds, with most making the trip to experience the forest. We are making plans to include Saleshwaram to the wildlife safari circuit by way of a trek to the Lingamaiah temple from the middle of May, he said. This year, the TSRTC has organised buses to Saleshwaram Jatara from Achampet. The idea is to discourage people from using their personal vehicles, and cut down traffic in the tiger reserve. The last leg of the journey involves a nearly two-km trek down the hills deep inside the forest. Only those who are fit enough should try and make the trip, especially in the wake of summer temperatures. Since the huge crowds usually result in generating a lot of trash, the forest department has set up a 100-member volunteer force to try and keep the forest clean and clear up the wastes discarded by pilgrims and visitors.

Postal and home voting to be held in Kurnool from May 5 to 8

Corporation staff on Monday arrange postal ballots at Ripon Buildings for May 16 elections. (Photo: DC) Corporation staff on Monday arrange postal ballots at Ripon Buildings for May 16 elections. (Photo: DC) Kurnool: District election officer and district collector G. Srijana has directed officials to ensure the smooth execution of postal ballot voting and home voting processes in facilitation centres established within the constituencies from May 5 to 8. In preparation for the voting processes, Srijana has instructed that forms related to postal ballots from other districts be distributed in their respective districts, with special counters set up to collect these postal ballots. Furthermore, a meeting with representatives of political parties will be held to inform them about the locations of facilitation centres, as well as the procedures for both postal ballot voting and home voting.

KE faction teams up with Kotla for a vigorous campaign

Kurnool: Telugu Desam is intensifying its efforts in Dhone constituency to pose a strong challenge to finance minister and ruling party candidate, Buggana Rajendranath. Senior TD leader and former deputy chief minister K.E. Krishna Murthy visited Kotla's residence in Kurnool on Tuesday to offer his support. Key leaders of both Kotla and KE factions engaged in serious election-related discussions as TD's Dhone candidate Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy is expected to file his nomination on Wednesday. Opposition leaders are anticipating that an anti-incumbency wave may work in their favour in Dhone and Pathikonda constituencies. There is optimism surrounding Krishna Murthy's son K.E. Shyam Babu's prospects in Pathikonda. Further, Krishnamurthy is extending support to Kotla in Dhone and plans to camp in the constituency to encourage supporters. Leaders say this renewed focus is expected to inject fresh energy into the ranks of Telugu Desam, Jana Sena and BJP within the constituency. Incidentally, there has been criticism against the KE faction for lack of perceptible engagement in the election process on its part. Krishnamurthy now plans to change this impression. Further, TD national president N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan are scheduled to visit the Dhone constituency. It is anticipated that this will bolster Kotlas chances of success. Party leaders, including Telugu Desam's national general secretary N. Lokesh, Kurnool district coordinator Vykuntam Prabhakar Chowdary, zonal in-charge Beeda Ravichandra Yadav, Kurnool district party president P. Thikka Reddy and former district general secretary Nageswara Rao Yadav have convened an internal meet in Dhone on Tuesday to strategise and discuss the latest political developments in the constituency.

Candidates take out massive rallies before filing nominations across Rayalaseema districts

Candidates from various parties conducted rallies before filing nominations. Arani Sreenivasulu filed in Tirupati. GD Nellore candidate filed. Katasani Ram filed in Kurnool. Adala Prabhakar Reddy filed in Nellore rural.

Telangana CM Revanth hits out at RS Praveen Kumar for joining BRS

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, April 23, asked BRS Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha candidate RS Praveen Kumar if he was against the categorisation of SCs. The CM also asked why Praveen chose to join BRS when KCR had been against the SC categorisation. Addressing a Congress Jana Jathara Sabha in Bijinapally mandal headquarters Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

BJP Leaders to Accompany Candidates Filing Lok Sabha Nominations

Hyderabad: The Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled Gujarat and Uttarakhand and Union ministers Dr S. Jaishankar and Anurag Thakur will accompany the party nominees when they file their papers for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls, the party said on Tuesday. External affairs minister Jaishankar, OBC Morcha Dr K. Laxman and Assembly floor leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy will attend a rally by Adilabad candidate Gudem Nagesh in Adilabad town on Wednesday, TS BJP general secretary G. Premender Reddy in a statement. Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur along with Goshamahal MLA T. Raja Singh will take part in a rally by Hyderabad candidate K. Madhavi Latha. The rally will commence from the Lord Vittobha temple in Gowliguda to the Hyderabad district collectorate. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel along with TS BJP chief G. Kishan Reddy will take part the rally of Karimnagar candidate Bandi Sanjay on Thursday. After filing of nomination papers, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Kishan Reddy will address a public meeting. Then, they will proceed to Nagarkurnool to address a public meeting in support of party nominee P. Bharath. The Gujarat Chief Minister will address a public meeting in the city, being organised by the Kishan Reddy and Madhav Latha, party candidates from Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Dhami and Dr Laxman will attend a rally taken out by partys Nizamabad candidate Dharmapuri Arvind on Thursday. They will proceed to Warangal to take part in an election meeting. Gomasa Srinivas Reddy will file his papers from Peddapalli in the presence of Maheshwar Reddy and party MLA Dr P Harish Babu.

Telangana: CM Revanth Targets Victory in Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday visited Mahbubnagar district for the fourth time since the Lok Sabha elections were announced on March 16, in his attempt to win the two constituencies of Mahbunbagar and Nagarkurnool in his native district to cement his grip over the party and government. Facing tough opposition from the BRS and the BJP, he has set a target of victory by one lakh votes in each seat.Revanth Reddy took part for the first time in the Sri Guru Lokalal Maharaj Bavaji Jatara at Thimmareddypalli of Kottapally mandal on Tuesday, located in Narayanpet district which is part of the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district. The Bavaji Jatara, also known as the Majji Jatara, holds immense cultural and religious significance for the Banjara and other tribal communities and is attended by lakhs of devotees from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, among others. His presence there is said to be a part of strengthening the 'son of the soil' sentiment and striking an emotional chord by calling himself 'Palamuru bidda' and appealing to the voters to strengthen the hands of the first TS Chief Minister from the region. Revanth Reddy is cautioning voters that the BJP and the BRS have hatched a conspiracy to defeat the Congress in the district to weaken 'Palamuru bidda'. What face will I have in the party and at the national-level if I get defeated in Palamuru, Revanth Reddy asked. The BRS and BJP have colluded to weaken me by defeating the Congress. It's the responsibility of people of Palamuru to thwart their conspiracies and strengthen me to protect the atma gauravam (self respect) of Palamuru district. Revanth Reddy has been holding regular meetings with party leaders and workers from the booth level upwards during his visits. A three-tier strategy committees has been formed for micro-level booth management to ensure every voter reaches the polling booth and votes for the Congress.

Social media fame Barelakka files nomination for Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency

Hyderabad: Barelakka alias K Sirisha, who drew the attention of people across social media platforms during the Assembly elections in November 2023, for contesting polls, has once again came to limelight for filing nomination papers for Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency on Tuesday. She is contesting as an independent candidate from Nagarkurnool. She unsuccessfully contested from Kollapur Assembly constituency in the 2023 Assembly elections. Sirisha, who gained fame as Barelakka on Youtube, secured 5,754 votes in Assembly elections. Sirisha became popular on Youtube for highlighting the unemployed situation in Telangana and failure of the then BRS government to ensure proper jobs to the youth. She claimed that she had to wash buffaloes in spite of completing her graduation.

Tanker Driver Killed in Fiery Kurnool Crash

Compared to the last year, road accidents have decreased in the Kamareddy district this year, said police. Last year, 516 road accident cases, including 243 deaths were reported and this year, 221 persons died in 496 mishaps. (DC Image) Compared to the last year, road accidents have decreased in the Kamareddy district this year, said police. Last year, 516 road accident cases, including 243 deaths were reported and this year, 221 persons died in 496 mishaps. (DC Image) Kurnool: A tragic road accident claimed the life of a truck driver on Sunday night near Chinnahothur village in Aspari mandal. Naseer, a 35-year-old driver from Haryana, was reportedly speeding when his tanker, carrying cement mixed crushing stones from Bellary to Hyderabad, collided with a stationary truck on the national highway. The impact triggered a fire that engulfed the tanker. Despite attempts to escape the inferno, Naseer was unable to exit the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries. Firefighters arrived swiftly and extinguished the blaze. The Aspari circle inspector, Hanumatappa, confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation is underway.

59 Nominations Filed for Kurnool and Nandyal

Kurnool: A total of 59 nominations were filed in Kurnool and Nandyal districts for both parliamentary and assembly segments on Monday. For the Lok Sabha constituency of Kurnool, five candidates filed nominations, and 29 candidates filed nominations for various assembly segments. In Nandyal, six candidates filed nominations for the LS segment and 19 for various assembly segments. Telugu Desam candidate B. Nagaraju, Congress candidate G. Rampullaiah Yadav, and three others filed their nominations for the Kurnool LS segment. In Nandyal, Telugu Desam candidate Dr Byreddy Shabari, Congress candidate Sindhu, and four independents filed their nominations. Six candidates filed nominations for the Kurnool assembly segment; three candidates from Panyam, including YSRC candidate Katasani Rambhupal Reddy and CPM candidate Ghouse Desai; six candidates from Pathikonda, including YSRC candidate K. Sridevi; five candidates from Kodumur, including Congress candidate P. Murali Krishna; Butta Renuka from the YSRC, TD candidates Dr B. Jayanageswara Reddy and B. Nitya Devi, and K. Raghavendra from BSP filed their nominations in Yemmiganur. Further, three candidates filed their nominations in Mantralayam, including Y. Bala Nagi Reddy from the YSRC, N. Raghavendra Reddy from Telugu Desam, and Y. Sai Prasad Reddy from the YSRC for Adoni, and B. Veerabhadra Gowd and B. Giri Mallesh Gowd filed nominations from the Telugu Desam for Alur. In Nandyal, Bhuma Akhila Priya from Telugu Desam, and two others filed their nominations for the Allagadda assembly segment. B. Rajasekhar Reddy from Telugu Desam and three others filed for Srisailam, YSRC candidate Dara Sudhir, G. Jayasurya from Telugu Desam, B. Jayaraju from TD, and an independent filed their nominations for the Nandikotkur assembly segment. N. Md. Farooq and Y. Lakshmi Narasamma from the Telugu Desam filed for the Nandyal city constituency, three independents for Banaganapalle, and three candidates from Dhone, including Buggana Rajendranath from the YSRC, proposer of Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash from Telugu Desam, and an independent, filed their nominations.

AP SSC results: Girls outshine boys with a 4.85 per cent higher pass

VIJAYAWADA : Girls fared better than boys with an 89.17 per cent pass against boys 84.32 per cent in the SSC results announced here on Monday. Addressing the media, Commissioner of School Education, Suresh Kumar, gave details of the results. This is a notable trend - of girls outshining boys with a 4.85 higher pass percentage, he said. He urged parents and educators to stand by students who did not clear the exams and encourage them to write the Advanced Supplementary Examinations. A total of 6,16,615 regular candidates appeared for the exams held from March 18 to March 30 this year. Some 75,000 government offiAmong the 11,645 schools, a remarkable 2,803 achieved a flawless 100 per cent pass rate.cials were involved in the supervision. The process of valuation involved 20,000 teaching and non-teaching staff from April 1 to April 8, resulting in the declaration of results before the last working day (April 23) of schools. Among the 11,645 schools, a remarkable 2,803 achieved a flawless 100 per cent pass rate. Some 17 schools registered a 0 pass percentage - of which one was a government school and 16 private schools. The Parvathipuram Manyam district recorded the highest pass percentage state-wide, standing proud at 96.37 per cent, while Kurnool district had the lowest pass percentage at 62.47 per cent. Institutions such as AP Residential Schools and AP BC Welfare Schools boasted exceptional pass rates of 98.43 per cent. A medium-wise analysis revealed that while 1,61,881 candidates appeared for the exams in Telugu medium, 71.08 per cent successfully cleared the assessments. Some 4,50,304 candidates opted for the English medium, with an impressive 92.32 per cent pass rate. Private schools dominated the scene with 1,988 schools securing a 100 per cent pass rate followed by 436 zilla parishad schools and 75 KGBV schools. However, a stark contrast was evident with 13 private schools, along with 3 aided and 1 government school, recording 0 pass. Suresh Kumar said there was substantial improvement in the March 2024 SSC examination results, which recorded an impressive 86.69 per cent pass compared to the previous year's 72.74 per cent. He commended the efforts of the teaching faculty, whose dedication contributed significantly to the remarkable increase in the number of schools achieving a perfect 100 per cent pass rate. This year, the number of 100 per cent pass schools increased to 2,803, a substantial rise from the 933 schools the previous year. Director of public examinations, Devananda Reddy announced the schedule for the SSC Advanced Supplementary Examinations from May 24 to June 03. Candidates seeking to improve their scores or clear subjects are advised to pay the examination fee between April 23 and April 30, with the late fee option available until May 23, for the supplementary exams. Director of APSCERT Pratap Reddy and others were present.

Lorry driver charred to death in road mishap in Kurnool

Lorry driver burns to death in road mishap in Kurnool - The Hindu

Lorry driver burns to death in road mishap in Kurnool The Hindu

Telangana on yellow alert, rain likely for next three days

HYDERABAD: Despite the rains and thundershowers, the mercury levels in the state continued to soar as the maximum temperatures remained on a higher side on Sunday. Khammam remained the hottest district in the state with the highest maximum temperature of 44.9 C, followed by Jagtial at 44.8 C and Nalgonda at 44.7 C. Noticeably, all the 33 districts reported the maximum temperatures above 40 C, as per the Telangana State Development and Planning Society. The city also recorded the highest maximum temperature of 41.26 C at Chandanagar. As per the IMD reports, light to moderate rains and thundershowers with surface winds of around 40 kmph were experienced in Adilabad, Kumurambheem Asifabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Khammam, Nagarkurnool, Rangareddy, Nalgonda and Suryapet districts. The IMD further said that the trough from south interior Karnataka to south Tamil Nadu runs from south Chattisgarh to south Tamil Nadu across Telangana, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema at 0.9 km above mean sea level. Light to moderate rains or thundershowers will be experienced in the next three days till April 24, post which the dry weather will prevail in the state. IMD has issued yellow alert for the districts of Adilabad, Kumurambheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtiyal, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Jangaon, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Suryapet, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, predicting thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty winds of around 30-40 kmph in these places. For the next 48 hours, the city will experience a partly cloudy sky, with light rain or thundershowers accompanied with gusty winds likely in parts of the city. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 39 C and 27 C respectively, with a relative humidity of 45%.

People will surely vote for Modi & BJP in LS polls: Union Minister Kishan Reddy

Telangana BJP president and Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy asserted that his party will cross double digits in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state. Speaking to a TNIE team as part of Hyderabad Dialogues, Kishan Reddy rubbished the Congress and BRS allegations that the BJP, which won four seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, did not do anything for the state. National highways, free rice distribution, ESI hospitals, development of railway infrastructure and revival of the fertiliser factory are they not projects taken up by the Centre? We are establishing a railway wagon manufacturing factory at Kazipet that will provide employment to around 3,000 people. We sanctioned a textile park for the state. Farmers here are benefiting from fertiliser subsidy, he pointed out. Kishan, the sitting MP from Secunderabad who has been fielded by the party from the segment again, laughed off the Congress claim that the BRS has fielded weak candidates in five LS seats to facilitate the victory of the BJP. Summing up the character of A Revanth Reddy and his predecessor K Chandrasekhar Rao, Kishan said that Revanth appears to have learnt a lesson from KCRs follies and developed cordial ties with the Centre. During BRS rule, I wrote more than 50 letters to him seeking allocation of land for projects that the Centre was ready to construct. But he did not respond to any of them. Telangana people threw him out of power and confined him to his farmhouse, he said. You just filed your nomination papers today. How is your campaigning going on in Secunderabad and other places in the state? After filing the nomination, I directly came to your (The New Indian Express) office. I started campaigning in my constituency much before the candidates of other parties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has so far addressed public meetings in Sangareddy, Nagarkurnool, Jagtial, Malkajgiri and Adilabad. While the BJP is ahead in campaigning in Telangana, the Congress has not even announced its full list of candidates. The people of the country want Narendra Modi to become prime minister once again. In the recent Assembly elections, many may not have voted for the BJP, but they will definitely vote for Modi and our party in the Lok Sabha polls. The youth, cutting across party affiliation in rural areas, are in favour of Narendra Modi. We are concentrating on door-to-door campaigns as we believe that there would be no use holding massive public meetings to reach out to voters. Who is your main rival in Secunderabad? Only if they start campaigning can we say something. Moreover, both candidates belong to the BRS. While Padma Rao Goud is the BRS candidate, Congress candidate Danam Nagender is a BRS MLA. Only after they start campaigning will we get some clarity on many issues like whether they will contest or withdraw or whether new candidates will come in their place. No matter who my rival is, I will give it my all and treat even independent candidates as strong opponents. How many seats are you expecting to win in Telangana? We are hopeful of winning seats in double digits. It could be anywhere between 10 and 17. The Congress and BRS are alleging that the Modi government did nothing for Telangana in the last 10 years. The Modi government has done a lot for Telangana. Its difficult to convince those making politically motivated allegations. The Centre has spent approximately Rs 10 lakh crore in Telangana. Recently, I gave a detailed power-point presentation in front of journalists, professors, intellectuals and other prominent persons, regarding the contribution of the Union government for the development of Telangana. When the BRS and Congress are spreading lies, I need not respond to them. If they can come to an open debate, I am ready to explain what the Centre did for Telangana. Is Telangana not part of this country? Why will we not extend assistance to Telangana? National highways, free rice distribution, ESI hospitals, development of railway infrastructure and revival of the fertiliser factory are they not projects taken up by the Centre? We are establishing a railway wagon manufacturing factory at Kazipet which will provide employment to around 3,000 people. We sanctioned a textile park for the state. Farmers of the state are benefiting from fertiliser subsidy. Though the Centre is funding programmes such as Basti Dawakhanas and distribution of free rice for the poor, the Modi government is not getting credit. CM Revanth Reddy is alleging that the BRS and BJP are colluding to topple the Congress government. I want to clarify officially that we do not want the Congress government to fall and we are not trying to do any such thing. We have only eight MLAs. If the government falls on its own, we cannot help it. We will wait for four-and-a-half years more and will try to form a government in a democratic way. It took 10 years for the BRS to fall and it will take five years for the Congress government to collapse. After that, the Congress will disappear and we will win in the elections. We will play the role of opposition effectively and we will fight for the implementation of the promises the Congress gave ahead of the Assembly elections. BRS working president KT Rama Rao says the CM will join the BJP. Former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao says the BJP is running the Congress government. What can I say to such baseless allegations? The Telangana government is providing financial resources to the Congress to fight Lok Sabha elections by collecting Rahul Gandhi tax from businessmen, builders and companies. Revanth is sending the money thus collected to Delhi and that is the reason why the Congress high command is giving him too much importance. He went to Andhra Pradesh and Kerala for campaigning. Revanth is close to the Congress high command because he is the one who makes the highest money contribution to the party. In this scenario, BRS leaders speaking of Revanth joining the BJP or the BJP running the Congress government is baseless. In politics we can say anything, but we need evidence to substantiate our claim. When the BRS was in power, a majority of Central schemes were not implemented in Telangana. After the Congress came to power, things have changed and relations between the state and the Centre are positive. KCR behaved in an arrogant manner towards the Centre when he was in power. He even went to the extent of saying that he would throw Modi out of the country. Telangana people threw him out of power and confined him to his farmhouse. Because of his arrogance, both KCR and Telangana suffered a lot. Revanth seems to have learnt a lesson from KCRs follies and he is maintaining good relations with the Centre. The financial situation of the state is very bad and Revanth wants the financial assistance that comes from the Centre as his government is not in a position to implement the promises it made to the people. Keeping these things in view, Revanth is implementing schemes such as PM Fasal Bima Yojana and Ayushman Bharat. During BRS rule, I wrote more than 50 letters to KCR seeking allocation of land for a few projects which the Centre was ready to construct. But he did not respond. The BRS and Congress allege that the BJP is fielding leaders who defected from the pink party because it lacks strong candidates. Congress leaders have no right to talk about this issue. Even after the BRS announced Kadiyam Kavya as its candidate for Warangal, the Congress admitted her and her father and MLA Kadiyam Srihari into the party. It even named Kavya as its candidate for Warangal. After doing this, does the Congress have any moral right to question us? Many leaders from various parties are joining the BJP, recognising that the country needs the leadership of Modi. The CM alleges that the BRS is fielding weak candidates in five seats to ensure victory of the BJP. What do you have to say about it? The CM also alleges that the BRS has an agreement with the BJP to secure the release of K Kavitha from jail. What can I say to it? Your party leaders say that the BJP lost in Assembly elections because of the failure of ED and CBI to arrest Kavitha. Will BJP benefit politically now that she has been arrested? Why would the BJP arrest Kavitha? That is wrong. The liquor scam case is related to Delhi, not Kavitha. The bureaucrats who were afraid of facing serious consequences gave full information on the liquor scam committed by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to the Centre and CBI. During the CBI investigation, Kavithas role in the scam came to light. Who asked her to do beer and brandy business in Delhi? She played a key role in the scam and that is why probe agencies arrested her. She destroyed several mobile phones and threatened people. The BJP has nothing to do with her arrest. You demanded a high-level inquiry into the phone-tapping case. But you did not specify the agency which should probe it. The phone-tapping case had its roots in the Intelligence headquarters. If police investigate their own men, we cannot expect justice. That is the reason I asked for a probe either by central agencies or an inquiry under the supervision of a high court judge. Though the BJP alleged corruption in the construction of Kaleshwaram project, why did the Union government not order a CBI probe? There is no provision for the Centre to conduct investigation into allegations of corruption in state projects unless the state government concerned seeks it. Kaleshwaram is a state project and without the state governments consent, the CBI cant investigate it. Before coming to power, the Congress had written a letter to me seeking a CBI probe. Now, after coming to power, the Congress is not talking about it. I will ensure that the Centre orders a CBI probe within 24 hours if the state chief secretary writes a letter. What is your agenda in Lok Sabha polls in Telangana? Is it Hindutva agenda or development agenda? If you keenly follow our speeches, you will get to know that ours is a development agenda. When you are confident of the BJP winning about 400 Lok Sabha seats, why has your party entered into alliance with the regional parties in various states? We said that the NDA will cross 400 and the BJP will win 370 seats on its own. What is wrong if we have an alliance with other parties? Ours is a national party. We work for the country. The nations development is not possible only with the BJP. There is a need to unite 140 crore people of the country. If the country has to develop, everyone should come forward irrespective of their party affiliation. We are working towards Viksit Bharat by 2047. You and several other leaders are aspiring for a Cabinet berth in the Union government. I am not in the race. As Central minister, I have done a lot in the last five years. I have got good opportunities. During my term as MoS to Home Affairs, Article 370 was repealed. I also worked as in-charge of a control room during the Covid time. During my tenure as Minister of Culture, Ram Mandir construction at Ayodhya happened. In five years I did work equal to 50 years. If any leader from Telangana gets a berth in the Union Cabinet, I would be happy. Revanth Reddy and you were close friends once. Is the friendship still continuing? Party and friendship are separate. We dont talk to each other everyday. Our political differences do come in the way of our friendship. However, we greet each other if we meet at marriages or other functions. Our differences are to do with ideological issues. There is talk that if the BJP comes to power for a third time, Hyderabad will be made the second capital of India. Is there any truth in it? It is not on our agenda. Hyderabad BJP candidate K Madhavi Latha is alleged to have made a gesture towards a masjid. Why do you think that she placed the [imaginary] bow towards a masjid? In the Old City, there are a lot of masjids. If you rotate the camera, a masjid will come into the frame. She did not have a BJP membership before being given a ticket. A few of your party leaders are also upset with this decision. These are all small issues. She has been working with us for many years. Though she was not our party member, she worked in our frontal organisations. TNIE team: Prasanna RS, VV Balakrishna, Ireddy Srinivas Reddy, S Bachan Jeet Singh, B Kartheek, Manda Ravinder Reddy and Navya Parvathy

Migrated leaders may wean away BRS votes, affect its chances

HYDERABAD: The exodus of leaders of all hues from the BRS into the Congress and BJP is likely to hurt it in the Lok Sabha elections by splitting its votes as a majority of the candidates in the fray were till recently members of the pink party. In most of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, the Congress and BJP candidates are recent migrants from the BRS. For example, votes that the BRS could have counted on in the Warangal Lok Sabha seat till recently are likely to be split between it, the Congress and BJP. The Congress has fielded MLA Kadiyam Sriharis daughter Kadiyam Kavya, who recently joined its fold from the BRS. On other hand, the BJP nominee is former MLA Aruri Ramesh, who was elected to the Assembly twice from Wardhanpet on BRS ticket. The BRS has given the ticket to ZP chairman Sudheer Kumar. The Congress has won six of the seven Assembly seats that come under the Warangal Lok Sabha seat, the other seat was won by Kadiyam Srihari. In Adilabad, the BJP has fielded former MP Godem Nagesh, who recently joined the party from the BRS. His candidacy might divide the major vote share traditionally held by the BRS, which won the seat in 2019. Meanwhile, the BRS has nominated former MLA Atram Sakku. Chevella presents a similar scenario, with the Congress nominating sitting MP G Ranjith Reddy, who switched from the BRS. The BJPs candidate, Konda Visweshwar Reddy, too was elected on a BRS ticket in 2014 and the both could draw away BRS BRS voters. In Zaheerabad, BRS sitting MP BB Patils decision to join the BJP and contest the elections might split the BRS votes, as the party has fielded Gali Anil Kumar, who is relatively new to the constituency. In Nagarkurnool, BRS sitting MP Ramulu joined the BJP from the BRS. The saffron party has fielded Ramulus son Bharat. The BRS, on the other hand, has nominated RS Praveen Kumar, a decision that could see its second-rung leaders and cadre drifting away. In Mahabubabad, former BRS MP Prof Sitaram Naik joined the BJP. He is facing sitting MP Maloth Kavitha which could split the BRS votes and improve the BJPs vote share. However, the Congress is quite strong in this constituency, having won the majority of Assembly seats that come under this Lok Sabha constituency. In Malkajgiri, former minister Eatala Rajenders candidacy on a BJP ticket may dent the BRS vote share, given his rapport with BRS leaders at the grassroots level. The BRS has fielded Ragidi Laxma Reddy, who faces the prospect of a divided vote share since Rajender is a popular figure in the constituency, despite not being a local. Secunderabad seat will witness a engrossing contest between two former pink party MLAs Danam Nagender who is the Congress candidate and T Padma Rao from the BRS. They go up against the BJPs state unit chief and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy. In Bhongir, former MP Boora Narsaiah contesting on a BJP ticket can split the BRS vote, given the fact that he has maintained his connection with the pink party cadre. The BRS has fielded Kayam Mallesh. Sources say that Narsaiah may be able to tap into the BRS vote bank. Nalgonda presents an interesting scenario with former MLA S Saidi Reddy contesting on a BJP ticket after joining from the BRS. The BRS has fielded Krishna Reddy, brother of former MLA K Bhupal Reddy. BRS candidates are facing their former party colleagues in seven to eight Lok Sabha constituencies and its anybodys guess as to who the voters will back in this crucial election.

Sharmila clarifies on loan taken from Jagan

VIJAYAWADA: APCC chief YS Sharmila Reddy clarified on mentioning in the affidavit that she took a loan of over Rs 82 crore from her brother YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. She said, There are some brothers, who assume the share of property that belongs to their sisters as their own, and project the pittance they give to the latter as loan. Everyone knows what has happened, including my family members, she said, and left at that point during a press conference in Kurnool district on Sunday. Taking exception to the character assassination of former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy by the YSRC, she asked them not to forget that he supported that party till his last breath. Though gag orders were issued by the court on the Vivekananda Reddy murder case, the APCC chief continued her criticism of YS Avinash Reddy and others, and said she and her sister Suneetha are asking people for justice. Sharmila lambasted the YSRC government in the State at a series of election meetings she addressed in Kurnool and Nandyal.

I will resolve water & unemployment problems: Bastipati Nagaraju

Bastipati Nagaraju, TDP candidate for Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency, entered politics in 2021 after quitting the government lecturer post. Later, he was elected as an MPTC member of Panchalingala. The TDP leadership has selected him as the party MP candidate as he belongs to the Kuruba community, which is numerically in strength in Kurnool. In an interview with K Madhu Sudhakar, Bastipati Nagaraju exuded confidence of his victory in the election as he has got the support of his community, besides the credibility of tripartite alliance What are the major problems of Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency? Kurnool is the most backward district in Rayalaseema region. It is facing acute shortage of drinking and irrigation water. It is also lagging behind on industrial front. Unemployment is a major problem. The migration of farm workers, small and landless farmers to Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and major towns in the State in search of livelihood is quite high. The YSRC government has ignored the development of Kurnool in the last five years. What is your agenda to develop Kurnool? My agenda is to safeguard the interests of small and marginal farmers, agricultural labourers and unemployed youth of the drought prone district. I will focus on completion of all the pending irrigation projects to provide better irrigation facility to farm land, besides laying emphasis on industrial development to generate large scale employment opportunities. The migration of poor people can be effectively checked with the development of irrigation, agriculture and industrial sectors. What are your strengths to fight the strong ruling YSRC candidate? My main strength is the growth vision of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu. There is severe anti-incumbency against the YSRC government as it has failed to deliver goods in the last five years. I am confident that the people, who are vexed with the regressive rule of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, will give their massive mandate to the tripartite alliance candidates in the elections. What kind of response from people to your election campaign? I am getting an overwhelming response from the people during my election campaign. Its a fact that the people have high regards for Chandrababu Naidu, a three-time Chief Minister. They also have immense faith in the capabilities of TDP chief, who is a visionary. My slogan is Vote for Visionary CBN. I am confident of my victory in the election. I will strive to develop Kurnool as a model Lok Sabha constituency in the State.

Heat Conditions in AP Continue Despite Rains

Visakhapatnam: Heat conditions are continuing in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh despite the light rains that lashed the state during the last 24 hours. Several locations in Rayalaseema recorded above 42C on Sunday, though many parts of the state had overcast skies but no significant rain. IMA Amaravati senior scientist Dr. S. Karuna Sagar said Kurnool and Tirupati stations recorded 42.6C, the highest temperature in the state, followed by Kadapa 42.5C, Jangamaheswarapuram 42.5C, Nandigama 42.4C, Nandyal 42.2C, Anantapur 42C, Nellore 41.7C, Gannavaram 41.6C and Amaravati 41C. People of Kurnool and a few other places in Rayalaseema experienced heatwave conditions on Sunday, while the remaining parts of the state remained hot and humid. From Monday to April 25, IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with a speed of 4050 kmph likely at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam. Hot, humid, and uncomfortable weather conditions will prevail over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema during the same period. Thundershowers accompanied by lightning lashed a few parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema region on Saturday night. People in Paderu of ASR district got relief from hot weather conditions after Paderu recorded one cm of rainfall.

Nagarkurnool BJP MP Candidate Pothuganti Bharath Campaigns in Wanaparthy

Hyderabad : Vote for the BJP if you want good education and employment and problems to be resolved, said Nagarkurnool BJP MP candidate Pothuganti Bharath on Sunday. With Prime Minister Narendra Modis initiative, our country is leading the world in digitisation, and more of our youth will be encouraged into diverse fields and the problem of unemployment will be solved, Bharath said. He was speaking at an election campaign in Wanaparthy Assembly segment of the Nagarkurnool constituency. I will work as one of your own, and voice the problems of Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool in Parliament. He took part in door-to-door campaigns in Chinnambavi, Vipanagandla, Gopalpet, Peddamandadi mandals. He also participated in area meetings, along with local BJP unit presidents Sudhakar Rao (Kollapur) and president (Wanaparthy) Narayana, BJYM and ABVP leaders, and urged the leaders to spread Modis word.

Andhra Pradesh Adarsh School Entrance Tests Conducted Successfully

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh School Education department has successfully conducted the Adarsh School entrance tests for the sixth standard across the state. A total of 31,376 students appeared for the exam, which took place in 164 AP Adarsh (model) schools. With a total of 16,400 seats available, the entrance exams saw 36,079 applicants, out of which 31,376 (87%) appeared for the exams. M.V. Krishna Reddy, the joint director of Model School, visited the Sirivella Adarsh School in Kurnool district as a state observer and supervisor. He inspected the facilities, including drinking water, provisions, and medical facilities for the students, and expressed his satisfaction with the arrangements.

KCR Announces 17-Day Roadshow Schedule for Lok Sabha Polls

Hyderabad: The BRS on Sunday released the schedule for party supremo K. Chandrashekar Raos 17-day long road shows for the Lok Sabha elections. The events will be held in the evening in view of the summer heat, and will last from April 24 to May 10. The schedule is as follows: April 24: Miryalaguda, 5.30 pm, Suryapet 7 pm; April 25: Bhongir, 7 pm; April 26, Mahbubnagar 6 pm; April 27: Nagarkurnool 6 pm; April 28: Warangal 6 pm; April 29: Khammam 6 pm; April 30: Tallada 5.30 pm and Kothagudem 6.30 pm; May 1: Mahbubabad 6 pm; May 2: Jammikunta 6 pm; May 3: Ramagundam 6 pm; May 4: Mancherial 6 pm; May 5: Jagtial 6 pm; May 6: Nizamabad 6 pm; May 7: Kamareddy 5.30 pm and Medak 7 pm; May 8: Narsapur 5.30 pm and Patancheruvu 7 pm; May 9: Karimnagar 6 pm; May 10: Sircilla 5 pm and Siddipet 6.30 pm.

Naidu to visit Srisailam today

Kurnool: The Srisailam temple authorities announced that Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu will visit the Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and Bhramaramba Ammavaru temples on Monday to offer prayers. In the morning, Naidu will depart from Begumpet in a helicopter bound for Sunnipenta. Upon arrival, he will travel by road to visit the Sakshi Ganapati and Bayalu Veerabhadraswamy temples. Later Naidu will perform special pujas at the Sri Bhramaramba and Mallikarjunaswamy temples. In the afternoon, Naidu will return to Hyderabad by helicopter, as per temple authorities.

Viveka case: Fighting for justice, not for property, says Sharmila

Kurnool :President of the state Congress party, YS Sharmila, criticised recent developments in the YS Viveka muder case and claimed that the fight for justice by us is not linked to any property dispute. Sharmila cited the uncertainty faced by Vivekas daughter Sunita and her children about their future amidst ongoing legal tussle. Regarding the issue of her debts as disclosed in the present election affidavit, Sharmila criticised the unequal property rights for girl children and cited the practice of depriving them of their rightful inheritance. She raised concern about the unfulfilled promises of the YSRC on the non-issuing of job notifications and flayed the state government for hiking charges for essential services like RTC and electricity. The PCC chief referred to the stark contrast between promises of transforming Kurnool into a smart city and the reality of inadequate access to clean water, as well as the dragging of projects such as the Gundrevula irrigation project. She said there was a lack of adequate infrastructure here to establish the judicial capital. She questioned the purpose behind organising events like Siddham and criticised the YSRC for its failure to deliver on its electoral promises.

SFI Leaders Demand Hall Tickets For College Students

The Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders and students on Saturday staged a dharna outside the cluster university, demanding that vice-chancellor Prof. Sai Gopal issue hall-tickets to students enrolled at the Government Boys College in Kurnool city. SFI district president Rangappa and Secretary Abdullah said the college students primarily consist of people from poor financial background. They alleged that the college principal was demanding fee despite the financial aid being provided towards students fee through Jagananna Vidya Deevena. Instead of assisting the students, the principal says that the fee amount was not yet disbursed. Their insistence on fee payment before receiving funds has led to withholding of hall-tickets, which the protesters deem unjust. They SFI leaders have called upon the district collector and Higher Education commissioner to intervene and ensure justice to the affected students.

Thunderstorm with lightning & gusty winds likely in Telangana in next 4 days: Met

Hyderabad, April 21 (UNI) Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and gusty winds speeding 4050 (kmph) is very likely to occur at isolated places in Mancherial, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Medchal Malkajgiri, Sangareddy, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet, and Jogulamba Gadwal districts of Telangana during the next 24 hours, Meteorological Centre said on Sunday.... The post Thunderstorm with lightning & gusty winds likely in Telangana in next 4 days: Met first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

Lok Sabha Polls: KCR Bus Yatra Itinerary, Check Route Map

Hyderabad: Former chief minister and BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao is set to kick start bus yatra across the state as part of Lok Sabha elections campaign. The bus yatra will be begin on April 24 and ends on May 10, as per the announcement made by the party. KCRs Bus Yatra Schedule: Day 1 - April 24th Miryalaguda Road Show: 5:30 PM Suryapet Road Show: 7:00 PM (Overnight stay at Suryapet) Day 2 - April 25th Bhuvanagiri Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay at Erravalli Day 3 - April 26th Road Show in Mahbubnagar: 6:00 PM (Overnight Stay in Mahabubnagar) Day 4 - April 27th Nagar Kurnool Road Show: 6:00 PM Day 5 - April 28th Warangal Road Show: 6:00 PM (Night stay in Warangal) Day 6 - April 29th Khammam Road Show: 6:00 PM (Night stay at Khammam) Day 7 - April 30th Talladalo Road Show: 5:30 PM Road show in Kothagudem: 6:30 PM (Overnight at Kottagudem) Day 8 - May 1st Mahbubabad Road Show: 6:00 PM (Night stay in Warangal) Day 9 - May 2nd Jammikunta Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay at Veenavanka Day 10 - May 3rd Ramagundam Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight at Ramagundam Day 11 - May 4th Manchiryala Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay at Karimnagar Day 12 - May 5th Jagitial Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay in Jagitya Day 13 - May 6th Nizamabad Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay in Nizamabad Day 14 - May 7th Kamareddy Road Show: 5:30 PM Medak Road Show: 7:00 PM Overnight stay in Medak Day 15 - May 8th Narsapur Road Show: 5:30 PM Patan Cheruvu Road Show: 7:00 PM Overnight stay at Erravelli Day 16 - May 9th Karimnagar Road Show: 6:00 PM Overnight stay at Karimnagar Day 17 - May 10th Sirisilla Road Show: 5:00 PM Siddipet Road Show: 6:30 PM

Crops in 2.2K acres damaged in past 2 days in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Based on preliminary reports from six districts Nayanapet, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Nagarkurnool, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri and Siddipet the state government has said that the crops in 2,220 acres of land were damaged due to rains and hailstorms in the past two days. Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao on Saturday told officials to visit the affected areas and collect details on the extent of crop loss from the farmers. Additionally, agriculture and horticulture authorities were asked to be on high alert in the wake of paddy harvesting while farmers were advised to take precautions to reduce crop loss due to untimely rains. He said the district collector would coordinate with field-level officials to ensure that the paddy crop is not drenched and take measures to prevent other crops from getting wet. For this purpose, more than 2 lakh tarpaulin covers have already been made available to the farmers, the minister said.

Telangana sees rains & hailstorm, mercury level plummets

HYDERABAD: In a breather from the scorching heat, Hyderabad woke up to a rainy morning with thunderstorms on Saturday. Light to moderate rains were also experienced in Jangaon, Nagarkurnool, Rangareddy, Siddipet, Vikarabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Jogulamba Gadwal, Sangareddy, Wanaparthy and Nizamabad districts and nearby areas, the IMD said. Some parts of Nizamabad, Siddipet, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri and Kamareddy districts reportedly witnessed hailstorms. The highest rainfall in the state was recorded at 49.5 mm in Jangaon, followed by 33.0 mm in Siddipet and 28.0 mm in Rangareddy, as per the Telangana State Development and Planning Society. Hyderabad experienced the highest rainfall of 28.0 mm in Serilingampally, while most parts of the city experienced light rainfall. The highest maximum temperatures however remained above 40C, with the highest maximum temperature at 43.8C in Khammam. The city of Hyderabad experienced a dip in the maximum temperatures as the highest was 38.3C in Kapra. Yellow alert issued The IMD said that the cyclonic circulation over the Marathwada region and neighbouring areas had become less marked while the trough discontinuity runs from south interior Karnataka to north Tamil Nadu at 0.9 km above mean sea level. Under the influence of the weather systems, the state will continue to experience light to moderate rain or thundershowers at isolated places for the next seven days. A yellow alert has been issued for the next five days. Hyderabad will also experience cloudy skies and thundershowers with light rains and lightning, and gusty winds of around 3040 kmph are very likely to occur over the next 48 hours. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 37C and 28C, respectively. Traffic hit in Hyderabad Several parts of Hyderabad experienced traffic jams and waterlogging. Areas like Kukatpally, JNTU, Balanagar, Uppal, Tarnaka, Secunderabad, Masab Tank, Mehdipatnam, Punjagutta, Raidurgam, Hitec City, Kondapur, Lakdikapul, PVNR Marg and the Old City area experienced heavy traffic jams due to the rains. They continued till late in the evening at many major junctions. Many public places such as Tank Bund, PVNR Marg, Peoples Plaza, Durgam Cheruvu and other spots witnessed more crowds than usual as the temperatures dropped after the rains. Many areas also experienced waterlogging, such as Secretariat, Tank Bund, Langer Houz, Golconda, Khajaguda, Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Nampally, Biodiversity Circle, IT corridors, Punjagutta, Attapur, Begumpet, Ameerpet and Chanchalguda. Power supply was disrupted in many areas such as Rajendranagar, Saifabad, Saroornagar, Habsiguda, Kondapur, Kandukur, Azamabad, Charminar, Tolichowki, Shaikpet from morning hours. The GHMC DRF team received 31 complaints of water stagnation, oil spills and tree felling due to the heavy rains.

Buggana Banking on Development for a hat-trick win in Dhone

Kurnool: Buggana Rajendranath, a former sarpanch-turned-state finance minister, aims for a third consecutive win in Dhone, having previously secured victory in 2014 and 2019 elections under the YSR Congress banner. He said the development activities taken up at a cost of around Rs. 3,000 crore in Dhone constituency, besides Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddys vision and welfare commitments would help him secure third successive win. In an interview with the Deccan Chronicle, finance minister Buggana Rajendranath highlighted the awareness among the people of Dhone assembly segment regarding his development activities. He pointed out the ambiguity of the TDP leaders regarding their past and future plans for the constituency. Speaking about Y.S. Sharmilas entry into Andhra politics, he said there would be zero impact on the YSRCPs prospects in the ensuing elections. Rajendranath emphasized the significant improvements made in Dhone, including the establishment of infrastructure like a 100-bed hospital equipped with modern medical facilities costing Rs. 37 crore, the Water Grid project worth Rs. 351 crore, tap connections amounting to Rs. 44 crore, and construction of irrigation projects worth Rs. 254 crore to address the drought conditions. Apart from, development of roads to various villages, including highway from Dhone to Nandyal costing Rs. 630 crore, initiatives such as agriculture and veterinary polytechnics, Kendriya Vidyalaya, and IDTR were taken up, he added. Criticising his Telugu Desam rival, Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy, Rajendranath labeled him a political tourist and questioned his contribution to the constituency's development despite his experience and family background. He said Prakash Reddy had failed to develop Dhone even during his tenure as the Union minister of state for Indian Railways. Rajendranath pointed out the unfulfilled promise of establishing a railway coach factory in Dhone and said Prakash Reddy had returned to Dhone after a 15-year absence solely to protect his political interests. Rajendranath expressed pride in the transformation of the faction-ridden area into a developed region with abundant drinking and irrigation water and other essential infrastructure

Confusion among TDP cadres over candidate for Undi Assembly seat

VIJAYAWADA: TDP cadres in Undi are caught on the horns of a dilemma. The party is yet to clarify who is the candidate for the Undi Assembly seat. K Raghurama Krishna Raju, who joined TDP recently, said that he would be filing his nomination papers from Undi on April 22. Meanwhile, his wife K Rama Devi filed one set of nomination papers representing TDP on behalf of her husband to contest from the Undi Assembly constituency on Friday. Similarly, sources in the TDP said that there is a possibility of change of candidates in a few other constituencies and a clear picture will emerge on Sunday when party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu will issue B Forms to all the party candidates. Naidu, will be issuing B Forms to all the 17 MP candidates and 144 MLA nominees contesting from the TDP. On the other hand, dissidence among NDA leaders in Kurnool came to the fore, when Yemmiganur BJP constituency in-charge Murahari Reddy filed nomination papers for the Assembly seat. Meanwhile the tussle is continuing between the TDP and BJP in Anaparthi constituency. Reports suggest that the saffron party is seeking Denduluru Assembly seat if it has to forego Anaparthi in favour of the TDP. But the BJP may get Thamballapalle in Chittoor district from the TDP instead of Denduluru. Speaking to TNIE, a senior TDP leader said that some of the party leaders like Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy, former minister KS Jawahar and TDP SC cell leader MS Raju also got message from the party headquarters to be available on Sunday, when Naidu will be giving the B Forms. Observing that all this indicated a possible change in some of the Assembly constituencies, the TDP leader said that there is a possibility of changing candidates of Chintalapudi and Madakasira Assembly constituencies owing to the demand of the party local cadre. Similarly, the party may replace Kamalapuram candidate Putha Chaitanya Reddy with his father Putha Narasimha Reddy. Meanwhile, internal bickering among local leaders of the tripartite alliance came to the fore in the combined Kurnool district. The BJP Yemmiganur Assembly incharge KR Murahari Reddy submitted his nomination on Friday even as the TDP, the alliance partner, announced former MLA BV Jayanageswara Reddy as its candidate. Murahari Reddy said that he filed nomination against Jayanageswara Reddy following the demand from activists of both JSP and BJP. He said they were unhappy with the attitude of Jayanageswara Reddy as he had not approached any leader from both BJP and JSP. Similarly, sources informed that rebels are planning to file against the alliance candidates in Mantralayam, Panyam and Adoni on April 25. While the names of Raghavendra Reddy and Gowru Charitha Reddy were announced as the alliance candidates from Mantralayam and Panyam by the TDP, the BJP declared Parthasarathi as its candidate for Adoni. But several leaders among the alliance parties are not interested in working with them jointly and maintained distance during the poll campaign.

Agri Minister Tummala Orders Crop Assessment

Hyderabad : Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said that the government had received reports of crop damage caused by untimely rains and hailstorms on Friday and Saturday, in Narayanpet, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Nagarkurnool, Yadadri and Siddipet districts. Initial estimates pegged the damage as around 2,200 acres for rice, maize and horticulture crops. The minister has ordered agriculture and horticulture officials to enumerate crop damage suffered by individual farmers. He directed officials to help farmers contain the damage that may occur as more rain has been forecast for the state, and paddy crop has been stored at market yards. Nageswara Rao asked officials to see that the grains which arrive in the markets and purchase centres do not get soaked in rains. Around two lakh tarpaulin covers have been made available to the farmers for this purpose, the minister informed.

23 Nominations Filed from Kurnool, Nandyal

Kurnool : A total of 23 nominations were filed from both Kurnool and Nandyal districts on Saturday. Two candidates filed nominations for the Lok Sabha seats in Kurnool and Nandyal, while 21 candidates submitted their nominations for various assembly segments in both districts. R. Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, an independent candidate, filed his nomination for the Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency, while Byreddy Shabari submitted her nomination on behalf of the Telugu Desam for the Nandyal Lok Sabha seat. In addition, independent candidates Puli Jacob and Singari Chandra Sekhar filed their nominations for the Kurnool assembly segment, while Kangati Ramamohan Reddy from the YSRC submitted his nomination for Pathikonda. For the Kodumur reserved constituency, Ande Meena Kumari from Anna YSRC and Y. Pedda Maddileti from the YSRC filed their nominations. Independent candidate G. Narayana filed for Yemmiganur, while B. Veerabhadra Gowd and B. Giri Mallesh Gowd from the Telugu Desam submitted their nominations for the Alur assembly constituency. Moving on to Nandyal, Chakali Pullaiah filed for the Allagadda assembly segment, while Singareddy Karthik Reddy from the YSRC submitted his nomination for the Srisailam segment. K. Chinna Venkata Swamy from the Telugu Desam filed for Nandikotkur. Other nominations include Salla Ramesh from the Yuga Thulasi Party, Ganji Venkateswarlu from the JCIV party, Manjula Subbarayudu from the All-Peoples Party, and I. J. Venkata Ramana from the BSP for the Nandyal assembly segment. For the Banaganapalle assembly segment, B.C. Janardhan Reddy and B.C. Indira from the Telugu Desam filed their nominations. Additionally, Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy from the Telugu Desam submitted his nomination for the Dhone assembly segment on Saturday.

Voting Pattern Shows Congress Lead with 9 MPs, BRS 7

Congress flag.(Representational image: PTI) Congress flag.(Representational image: PTI) HYDERABAD: Major parties are concerned over the swing in the voting behaviour in the Lok Sabha polls from the Assembly elections. The example being cited is that of the BRS, which won 88 seats in the 2018 Assembly elections. On that ground, it should have been the leading party in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 but could win only 9 seats, followed by the BJP with 4, the Congress with three and the AIMIM one. In the Lok Sabha elections, the BRS was ahead in 71 Assembly segments, surrendering the lead in 17 others. The BJP which had won one Assembly seat, secured the lead in 25 segments in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Only the Congress managed to maintain its majority in 21 Assembly seats in both the 2018 Assembly elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress came to power by winning 65 seats (including one seat by its ally CPI), while the BJP increased its tally to eight. The BRS tally came down to 39, while the AIMIM retained its traditional seven seats. If the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections were to witness the same voting pattern of December 2023 Assembly polls, then the Congress will get nine Lok Sabha seats, which will include, Peddapalli, Zaheerabad, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Bhongir, Warangal, Mahabubabad and Khammam. The BRS will get seven Lok Sabha constituencies: Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad and Chevella. The AIMIM will retain its Hyderabad seat. The BJP will draw a blank as it failed to secure a majority in any of the Lok Sabha constituencies. However, it is unlikely for voting patterns to repeat as people are voting differently in Assembly polls and Lok Sabha polls. After losing power in December 2023, the BRS is at the receiving end as a large number of leaders and cadre migrated to the Congress and the BJP and the party is struggling to make a mark in the Lok Sabha polls. While the Congress has set itself a target to win 15 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP is also aiming for double-digit seats. The Congress and the BJP are competing with each other to eat into the vote share of BRS and improve their seats in Lok Sabha polls as compared to 2019.

Kotla Ddvises Villagers to Complain Over Bugganas Data

Kurnool: Kodandaram, a resident of Vengalampalle village, has alleged that ruling YSRC party candidate from Dhone Buggana Rajendranath, who is also finance minister of AP, has falsely stated that 37.93 crore expenditure has been incurred on the village by the state government. Kodandaram brought to the attention of TDP Dhone candidate Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy, who is a former union minister, that only an overhead tank has been built in the village between 19992004 and no community hall has been constructed. Following this, Surya Prakash Reddy advised Vengalampalle villagers to file a complaint with the Election Commission, bring to its attention that ruling party candidate Rajendranath is brazenly campaigning about the amount having been spent in the village. Vengalampalle villagers urged the TDP candidate that he inquire into the discrepancies of the ruling party candidate. Surya Prakash Reddy assured the villagers that if officials fail to act on this matter, TDP will conduct an inquiry once it comes to power and ascertain the truth.

Sharmila questions TD giving ticket to Gummanur Jayaram

Kurnool: Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief Y.S. Sharmila questioned the appropriateness of Telugu Desam offering a ticket to Alur legislator and former minister G. Jayaram from Guntakal constituency. The APCC president maintained that if a person has failed in one constituency, the person may not be suitable in another constituency. She commented, Did you get one job as labour minister? Have you come to work for the constituency? Sharmila criticised Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for not taking any step towards implementing the Vedavati irrigation project in the past five years, despite promising that it will be completed. would be completed. She said had the project been completed, 80,000 acres would have been irrigated in the region, benefitting the farmers. The APCC president told voters: Don't waste your vote. Voting for the ruling party is like throwing your vote in the drain. Think and vote this time. Development is possible only with Congress, she underlined. Sharmila maintained that only the Congress government can give a Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh. She assured that 2.25 lakh jobs will be created once Congress comes to power.

BRS declares Praveen Kumar as Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency candidate

Hyderabad: The BRS on Saturday announced retired IPS officer Dr. RS Praveen Kumar as candidate for Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency. Praveen Kumar quit BSP on March 18, 2024 and joined BRS in the presence of BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. Praveen Kumar served as an IPS officer for 26 years, displaying exemplary leadership and courage in maintaining law and order, notably in sensitive regions of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, as well as in conflict zones like former Yugoslavia, said BRS working president KT Rama Rao in a tweet, introducing Praveen Kumar as the candidate for Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency. Praveen Kumar served as Secretary for Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare Residential Schools after the formation of Telangana for nine years. Before six years of service, he plunged into public service to work for the downtrodden and joined BSP in 2021. Praveen Kumar unsuccessfully contested from Sirpur Assembly constituency in Assembly elections conducted in 2023 on BSP ticket.

Madiga community upset, Telangana Congress seniors send SOS to Delhi

HJYDERABAD: The Congress high commands choice of candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections has left leaders from the Madiga community fuming as they believe the party has favoured the Mala community. They point to the allocation of tickets for three reserved Lok Sabha seatsPeddapalli, Nagarkurnool, and Warangal to non-Madiga community leaders as the reason for their angst. In previous elections, the Congress had strove to maintain a balance in ticket distribution across social groups, but this poll has been different, stirring discontent among Madiga leaders. Most Madiga leaders say that lack of representation could lead to a decline in their political influence. The angst of the Madiga community is best exemplified by former minister Mothkupalli Narasimhulu who undertook a one-day hunger strike to highlight the extent of dissatisfaction. The fact that Narasimhulu received support from senior leaders like V Hanumantha Rao and Sarve Satyanarayana is being seen as a pointer that overlooking of Madiga leaders in the matter of ticket distribution has created turmoil in the party. Moreover, criticism from MRPS president Manda Krishna Madiga who accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of giving priority to the Mala community has added fuel to the fire. The failure to announce sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) is being exploited by the BJP to corner the Congress. It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently said that he was in favour of sub-categorisation of SCs. Following this, the BJP expects the Madiga community to support it in the coming elections. The Congress is now worried that the Madiga community will tilt towards the BJP, a matter that could reflect in the elections. Worried, leaders of the grand old party are reported to have sent SOS to the high command to step in and mitigate the damage by addressing the concerns raised by Madiga leaders.

Jagan is a traitor of Rayalaseema: Naidu

VIJAYAWADA: TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu criticised Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for miserably failing to provide basic amenities to the people of Andhra Pradesh. Speaking at Praja Galam meetings held at Rayadurgam and Alur in Anantapur and Kurnool districts respectively, Naidu lashed at YSRC for not supplying water to agricultural fields, not providing jobs to the youth, and not laying roads in rural areas. I came here to assure people that the NDA alliance will provide all facilities to the public, he added. Calling Jagan a traitor of Rayalaseema for doing nothing for the region, Naidu highlighted the increase of prices of essential commodities, cement, sand, and iron during the regime of Jagan. Further, the people of Andhra Pradesh are facing an extra burden of Rs 1 lakh every year because of the increased petrol and diesel prices, he added. The TDP chief reiterated that if he wins the upcoming elections, he will increase the old age pension to Rs 4,000 from the present Rs 3,000 and will disburse the increased amount from April itself. Naidu also slammed Jagan for using his power for personal gains. Jagan is behaving like he wants everyone in the State to be his slaves. Power is an opportunity given to serve the people. There should be accountability. With ego, Jagan has misused this power, he alleged. Stating that Jagan has looted the State and its people by increasing alcohol prices, Naidu slammed the CM for deceiving the public in the name of prohibition of alcohol in AP. Highlighting the alarming Rs 13 lakh crore of debt on the State, he said, This election is crucial. It will change the future of the people and the State. We need the support of the Centre. This is the reason why TDP, JSP, and BJP teamed up.

Naidu Familys Riches Rise by 40 per Cent in Five Years, Cross Rs 900 Crore

Tirupati: An affidavit submitted to the Election Commission on Friday showed a major rise in the assets of Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu and his wife Nara Bhuvaneswari. The couple's combined assets rose by around 40 per cent - from Rs 668.57 crore in 2019 to Rs 931.83 crore in 2024. The revelation came as Bhuvaneswari filed her husband's nomination papers for Kuppam Assembly constituency in Chittoor district on Friday. According to the affidavit, the Telugu Desam chiefs movable assets declined to Rs 4.80 lakh from Rs 47.38 lakh, while his wife's movable assets swelled from Rs 573.84 crore in 2019 to Rs 810.37 crore in 2024. Their immovable asset holdings witnessed an equally meteoric rise - from Rs 19.96 crore and RS 74.29 crore in 2019 to RS 36.31 crore and Rs 85.10 crore now. The former CM's immovable riches include non-agricultural land in Kuppam, residential buildings in Hyderabad and his native Naravaripalle. The value of these holdings surged by Rs 16.35 crore, reaching Rs 36.31 crore now from Rs 19.96 crore in 2019. Naidu owns a 1994 Ambassador car valued at Rs 2.22 lakh. However, it is Bhuvaneswari who emerged wealthier, with her personal assets surging from Rs 648.13 crore in 2019 to Rs 895.47 crore in 2024 - a staggering increase of Rs 247.34 crore. She currently holds 2.26 crore shares of Heritage Foods worth Rs 763.93 crore, up from 1.06 crore shares valued at Rs 545.76 crore five years ago. Additionally, she possesses around 41.5 kg of silver and 3.4 kg of gold bullion. The couple's liabilities have decreased slightly, with Naidu currently showing Rs 3.48 crore as a joint housing loan with his son - down from Rs 5.24 crore in 2019. Bhuvaneswari's liabilities dipped to Rs 6.83 crore from Rs 10.07 crore previously. Meanwhile, Naidu was booked in FIR No.79/2023 and 56/2023 by Mudiveedu and Mulakalacheruvu police citing charges like conspiring and instigating TD cadres to attack YSRC activists and promoting enmity. He also faces FIR No.43/2023 and 41/2023 from Anaparthi and Bikkavolu police for disobeying orders and threatening officials to hold public gatherings. The former chief minister faces CID FIR No. 18/2023 and 19/2023 over irregularities in fixing fees, granting distilleries/brands, and free sand policy causing losses to the state exchequer. CID Amaravati also booked him for irregularities in AP capital master plan and inner ring road alignment to benefit some people. CID Mangalagiri filed FIR No. 24/2021 against Naidu for violating e-procurement rules by awarding contracts to Tera Software through AP FiberNet. He also faces FIR No. 15/2020 for wrongfully benefiting relatives/associates by misusing official position. The Arundalpet (FIR 230/2021) and Suryaraopet (FIR 94/2021) police stations booked Naidu for remarks on COVID-19 second wave and vaccine shortage causing fear and mental stress among the people. Narasaraopet II Town (FIR 88/2021) and Kurnool I Town (FIR 80/2021) police registered cases over his comments on 440K variant spread. Kalyandurg police in Anantapur booked him in FIR 75/2022 over his post on platform X on a girl's death during a minister's roadshow. Yerpedu, Vizag Airport, and Patamata police also booked him in preventive arrest cases. * Nara Chandrababu Naidu - Movable Assets: Rs 4,80,438 (2024); Rs 47,38,067 (2019) - Immovable Assets: Rs 36,31,00,481 (2024): Rs 19,96,95,474 (2019) - Liabilities: Rs 3,48,81,937 (2024); Rs 5,24,96,605 (2019) * Nara Bhuvaneswari - Movable Assets: Rs 810,37,08,883; Rs 573,84,17,434 (2019) - Immovable Assets: Rs 85,10,41,128 (2024); Rs 74,29,00,000 (2019) - Liabilities: Rs 6,83,19,895 (2024); Rs10,07,98,182 (2019)

Govt failed to complete irrigation projects in Rayalaseema, says Naidu

Kurnool, Anantapur: Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu has accused Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of failure to complete any irrigation project in Rayalaseema, despite his big promises. Naidu criticised the CM's style of governance, labeling him the 'J-Gun Reddy' for his alleged acts of mismanagement. Despite winning power, Jagan Mohan Reddy is allegedly dismantling systems and neglecting the poor by not settling the pending Aarogyasri bills. If elected, I pledge to clear all pending bills for sarpanchs and allocate funds for all schemes, Naidu said while addressing the public during TDs Prajagalam in Alur on Friday. The TD chief highlighted the state's mounting debt of Rs 13 lakh crore and lamented the irregular salary payments. He assured the people he would to steer the state towards development with central governments cooperation and raise the lifestyles of all. Naidu affirmed the Telugu Desam's legacy of empowering individuals from the middle and lower-middle classes and assured the Madasi Kuruba community of Scheduled Tribe status. He emphasised that the upcoming elections were crucial in shaping the people's future. The former CM urged voters to keep Jagan Mohan Reddy out of the state for the next five years by voting the TD to power. The alliance's goal is to develop the state and support the youth during challenging times, with assistance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He promised to issue the Mega DSC notification soon after assuring power. Naidu explained the importance of minority support for the alliance, and affirmed the Telugu Desam's commitment to their progress. He encouraged village and ward volunteers to unite with the Telugu Desam, promising them a bright future and a monthly payment of `10,000 upon TD assuming power. Local LS candidate B. Nagaraju, Assembly candidate B. Veerabhadra Gowd, TD parliament segment in-charge P. Thikka Reddy and others attended the event. At the road show in Kanekal of Rayadurg Assembly segment in Anantapur district, Naidu made it clear that the TD and its allies BJP and JS - are never against Muslims. The YSRC and its media were passing critical comments against TD and are branding the party as anti-Muslim, he said. The YSRC did nothing for welfare of Muslims, BCs and other sections for the past few years, Naidu alleged. TD candidate Kalava Sreenivasulu and several other leaders were present. Naidu was staying in Rayadurg segment on Friday night.

69 Candidates File Nominations for 17 Lok Sabha Seats

HYDERABAD: At least 69 nominations were filed by the candidates of different political parties and independents for contesting at all 17 Lok Sabha constituencies on Friday. In Secunderabad, the BJP Telangana unit chief and Union minister Kishan Reddy filed four sets of nominations. Atharam Suguna from the Congress, filed her nomination in Adilabad, Eswar Koppula, BRS, filed his nomination in Peddapalli, Vamsi Krishna Gaddam, Congress, in Pedapalli, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, BJP, Karimnagar. In Nizamabad, Bajireddy Goverdhan Reddy, BRS, Dharmapuri Arvind, BJP filed their nominations. In Secunderabad, G Kishan Reddy, BJP and T Padma Rao Goud, BRS, have filed their nominations. In HYderabad, Asaduddin Owaisi filed nomination from MIM party. In Chevella, BRS candidate Kasani Gyaneswar filed his nominations. In Mahbubnagar, Manne Srinivas Reddy, BRS, and Challa Vamshichand Reddy from Congress, filed their nominations. In Nagarkurnool, R.S. Praveen Kumar filed his nomination from the BRS. In Bhongir, Boora Narsaiah from the BJP and Mahamad Jahangir from the CPM have filed their nominations. In Khammam, BJP candidate Tandra Vinod Rao filed his nomination. WEALTH WATCH Dharmapuri Arvind, BJP, Nizamabad: Rs 133 crore properties, wife Priyanka Rs 12 crore. Combined liabilities around Rs 30.5 crore. Rs 16 crore unsecured loans from relatives and friends. 22 cases. In 2019, Arvind declared Rs 100 crore properties, liabilities of Rs 33 crore G. Kishan Reddy, BJP, Secunderabad: Rs 69 lakh properties, wife Rs 7.93 worth assets and Rs 1.63 crore liabilities. Diploma in tool design from Balanagar. No cases. In 2019, Rs 68 lakh properties. Asaduddin Owaisi, MIM, Hyderabad: Rs 25 crore assets, NP .22 pistol and NP bore 30-60 rifle, each worth Rs 1 lakh; wife Farheen has assets worth Rs 8 crore. Bar-At-Law, LLB, Lincolns Inn. Faces four cases. In 2019, Owaisi declared Rs 22 crore worth properties. Dr Boora Narsiah Goud, BJP, Bhongir: Rs 50 crore, wife B. Anitha possessed properties worth Rs 20 crore. In 2019, he declared Rs 34 crore worth properties. T. Padma Goud, BRS, Secunderabad: Assets Rs 2.69 crore, wife T. Swaroopas movable and immovable assets at about Rs 1.5 crore. In 2018, he declared Rs 2.17 crore movable assets and wife movable and immovable assets worth about Rs 78.5 lakh. Bajireddy Govardhan, BRS: Rs 3.85 crore assets, his spouse about Rs 49 lakh.

Dynasties: Children of Senior Politicians Testing Luck in AP Elections

Vijayawada: More than 30 political heirs are testing their fortunes in the 2024 polls under the banner of various parties in Andhra Pradesh. Leading the pack are Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Nara Lokesh and Daggubati Purandeswari. They span parties like the YSRC, Telugu Desam, Congress, Jana Sena and BJP. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy continuing the legacy of his father Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, his uncle Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy and his mother Y.S. Vijayalakshmi who won the Pulivendula MLA seat, is contesting from Pulivendula for the third time. TD chief Chandrababu's son Nara Lokesh entered the ring once again in Mangalagiri of Guntur district. Lokesh lost to YSRC candidate Alla Ramakrishna Reddy in the last election. Political heiress Murugudu Lavanya, daughter of former MLA Kandru Kamala and daughter-in-law of former MLA Murugudu Hanumantha Rao, is contesting the polls on behalf of YSRC against Lokesh. Sirisha, daughter of former MLA Gauthu Shyamsundara Shivaji, is contesting under the TD banner from Palasa in Srikakulam district. In Rajam, former TD MLA Tale Bhadraiah's son Dr Rajesh is making his political debut on behalf of YSRC. Former Union Minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathiraju's daughter Aditi is contesting on behalf of TD in Vizianagaram, which was earlier won by Ashok twice and one time by Vijayarama Gajapathi. JC Asmit Reddy, son of former MLA JC Prabhakar Reddy, is contesting on behalf of TD in Tadipatri of Anantapur district, a seat that was won by Prabhakar Reddy one time and JC Diwakar Reddy six times. Tenali has two political successors in the ring. Former chief minister Nadendla Bhaskara Rao's son Nadendla Manohar is contesting on behalf of the Jana Sena. Annabatuni Sivakumar, son of former minister Annabatuni Satyanarayana, is contesting for the YSRC. Manohar won the Tenali seat twice and his father Bhaskar Rao one time. Similarly, Siva Kumar won the seat in the 2019 elections and his father Satyanarayana won this seat two times. Two-times Guntur East MLA Md Mustafa has pressed his daughter Noori Fathima into the poll fray. Putta Pratap Reddy, son of former MLA Putta Narasimha Reddy is contesting the elections from Kamalapuram, Kadapa district. Ravindranath Reddy, uncle of chief minister Jagan Reddy, is contesting here on behalf of YSRC. In Pedana of Krishna district, former minister Kagita Venkata Rao's son Krishnaprasad is contesting as TD nominee. Uppala Ramu, son of YSRC's late senior leader Uppala Ram Prasad, is in the fray on behalf of YSRC. In Machilipatnam, MLA Perni Nani's son Perni Kittu is contesting on behalf of the YSRC, while ex-minister Nadakuditi Narasimha Rao's son-in-law and ex-minister Kollu Ravindra is contesting from TD. Varla Kumar Raja, son of TD senior leader Varla Ramaiah, is contesting the Pamarru MLA seat. Yanamala Ramakrishnadu's daughter Yanamala Divya is contesting in Tuni on a TD ticket in the Eluru parliamentary constituency. Minister Karumuri Nageswara Raos son Sunil is contesting the polls from the YSRC and TD leader Putta Sudhakar Yadav's son Putta Mahesh is in Eluru LS fray. Sudhakar Yadav is contesting from Maidukuru. In Kurnool, former MP TG Venkatesh's son TG Bharat is the TD nominee. Former deputy CM KE Krishnamurthy's son KE Shyambabu is contesting from TD in Pattikonda. Former MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy's son Mekapati Vikram Reddy is contesting from YSRC in Atmakur. Bojjala Sudhir Reddy, son of former minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy, is in the fray in Srikalahasti. Mohit Reddy, son of current YSRC MLA Chevireddy Bhaskara Reddy, is in the field in Chandragiri. In Tirupati, Bhumana Abhinay Reddy, son of current MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, is fighting the polls.

48 candidates file nominations on first day

As many as 48 candidates have filed papers on the first day of filing nominations for the Lok Sabha election on Thursday. Voters across the 17 constituencies of Telangana will exercise their franchise on May 13. Among the prominent leaders who filed their nominations on the first day were Eatala Rajender (BJP, Malkajgiri), M Raghunandan Rao (BJP, Medak), DK Aruna (BJP, Mahabubnagar), Sanampudi Saidi Reddy (BJP, Nalgonda), Mallu Ravi (Congress, Nagarkurnool) and Suresh Kumar Shetkar (Congress, Zahirabad). Addressing the media, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj said that candidates can also submit their nomination online. The candidates should also submit a printed copy of their nomination papers to their respective Returning Officer by April 24, 2024, he said. When asked whether a sitting MLA can contest the Lok Sabha elections on behalf of parties other than the one he or she is representing, the CEO said this was a legal issue and instructions were given to Returning Officers in this regard. On complaints and MCC violations, he said the EC has received 2,000 complaints against candidates, resulting in 4,099 FIRs being registered. Segment-wise nominations Adilabad (ST) 2 Peddapalli (SC) 4 Karimnagar 2 Nizamabad 2 Zaheerabad 1 Medak 4 Malkajgiri 8 Chevella 3 Mahbubnagar 2 Nagarkurnool (SC) 3 Nalgonda 4 Bhongir 3 Warangal (SC) 3 Mahabubabad (ST) 1 Khammam 1 For safety & security Employees drafted for poll duty: 2,79,519 Central companies arrived: 60 Central companies yet to arrive: 100 Police Personnel from other States: 20,000 Nodal officers in each district: 1

BJP will try to topple Congress govt, claims Chandrasekhar Rao

HYDERABAD: BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday reportedly said the leaders who defected to the Congress are unhappy with their decision. A senior Congress leader contacted me and said he, along with 20 MLAs, would move to the BRS. But, I said that there was no need to bring 20 legislators with him, the former chief minister added. Addressing a meeting with election candidates for Lok Sabha polls and senior party leaders here, he said, The BJP had conspired to topple the BRS government even when it had 104 MLAs. Do you think the saffron party will spare the Congress which has 64 MLAs? Responding to MLC K Kavitha being jailed, KCR said: Her arrest is illegal. Kavitha has not done any wrong. Agencies have failed to show evidence of even `100 as proceeds of crime. During the BRS rule, a case was filed against BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh, who tried to topple the state government. To take revenge, the BJP lodged false cases against Kavitha. If there was no case on BL Santhosh, there would be no case on Kavitha. The BRS supremo said he would take part in a statewide bus yatra from April 22. Congs culture of negligence led to infra issues: KCR During the meeting, he also distributed B-forms to the candidates and Rs 95 lakh in cheques towards election expenditure. Expressing concerns over the provision of irrigation and drinking water apart from electricity supply in Telangana, the former CM lambasted the alleged inefficiency of the current Congress government stating that infrastructural problems were cropping up after a decade. He attributed this to Congress purported disregard for the welfare of the people and the underprivileged, which is driven by a culture of negligence. BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao gives the B-form to RS Praveen Kumar, party candidate from Nagarkurnool, in Hyderabad on Thursday Accusing the Congress of failing to fulfil its pre-poll promises, KCR alleged the government was trying to deceive people. He urged BRS leaders to mobilise people on these issues while emphasising the partys commitment to addressing farmers grievances and exerting pressure on the government through various channels. KCR also lambasted the Congress government over its alleged inability to implement grain procurement policies, which, he said, was severely affecting the farmers. Referring to the postcard movement, he said it is meant to appeal to the chief minister for the immediate implementation of promises, including bonuses for farmers. Further, the BRS supremo alleged that the BJP hatched a conspiracy to divert Godavari river waters away from Telangana. He asserted that only the BRS could safeguard Telanganas river waters and urged the public to support its candidates. KCR underlined the need for widespread awareness regarding the Congress false promises. He urged supporters to utilise social media and other platforms to share their reasons for opposing the BJP and advocate for the BRS. The former chief minister also announced plans for a statewide bus tour to engage with constituents, address their concerns and garner support for the BRS. It was learnt that funds have been allocated to strengthen the legal cell to defend party workers against politically motivated arrests.

Telangana: Tough task ahead for In-charge ministers in this LS polls

HYDERABAD: Barely four months in office, members of the Congress Cabinet have a formidable task on hand as they face the Lok Sabha elections in the state. Being ministers, they have no option but to prove their mettle in the constituencies they are in charge of. The party high command has designated 10 ministers as constituency in-charge and all of them have to cope with internal factions, the antagonism towards the newly-joined leaders, discontent among second-rung leaders, candidate weaknesses, and other pressing issues. The in-charges also have to contend with the aggressive campaigning by the BJP and BRS. While the BJP aims to win at least 10 Lok Sabha seats so that its plans to form the next government in the state, the BRS is leaving no stone unturned to criticise the ruling Congress. Ponguletis dilemma Though the Congress has not announced the candidate for the Khammam seat, the in-charge minister, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, has a tough task at hand. If his brother, Ponguleti Prasad Reddy, gets the ticket, he has to pacify Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Minister Thummala Nageswar, as well as other aspirants. If Prasad Reddy does not get the ticket, Srinivasa Raos own supporters may not work hard for the victory of the official candidate. In Nalgonda, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is trying his best to keep his hold over the constituency by making sure the party candidate, K Raghuveer Reddy, son of senior leader K Jana Reddy wins. The minister is spending at least five days of the week in Lok Sabha constituency and is conducting election preparatory meetings in every Assembly segment. Venkat Reddy exudes confidence that Raghuveer Reddy will win comfortably. Heat is on in Karimnagar Ponnam Prabhakar, who is the in-charge for the Karimnagar seat, faces a difficult task. Prabhakar not only has to contend with the aggressive campaigning of sitting MP Bandi Sanjay of the BJP, he also has to ensure that whenever the Congress finalises its candidate, he makes the most of the limited time available. Meanwhile, the BRS and BJP candidates have completed two rounds of campaigning. In Peddapalli, Minister D Sridhar Babu is facing a tough time from second-rung leaders who are unhappy with the official candidate. Sridhar Babu has been trying to convince them that the party candidate, G Vamshi, has the backing of the high command, but the second-rung leaders are upset that the Gaddam family has been unduly favoured with multiple members getting tickets. Unhappy 2nd-rung leaders Thummala Nageswar Rao, who is the in-charge for Mahabubabad seat, has a relatively easier task at hand. The party won a majority of the Assembly segments that come under the Mahabubabad Lok Sabha seat. However, the second-rung leaders are reportedly unhappy with the candidate Balram Naik, who they allege neglected them in the last 10 years. The Hindutva factor Komatireddy Venkat Reddy also faces a tough challenge in Secunderabad, the constituency he has been named in-charge. The Congress has fielded BRS MLA Danam Nagender who recently joined the party. Sources say that this may not be a good thing as Nagender has been accused of harassing the Congress cadre when he was in the BRS. The BJP fielded sitting MP G Kishan Reddy who remains popular in the constituency. Kishan is banking on the Hindutva sentiment to retain the seat. The BRS has fielded T Padma Rao who is well connected with the voters. Jeopardy for Jupally Jupally Krishna Rao, the in-charge for Nagarkurnool seat, faces groupism in the party at the ground level. The party has given the ticket to former MP Mallu Ravi overlooking the bid of former MLA SA Sampath. While Sampath has publicly extended his support to Mallu Ravi, his followers may not be so generous and may not work for the victory of the official candidate. The BJP has fielded P Bharat, son of sitting MP P Ramulu while the BRS has nominated RS Praveen Kumar, both strong candidates. Surekha faces huge odds Konda Surekha, who is the in-charge for Medak seat, has perhaps the toughest task at hand. Medak is the native district of former chief minister and BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao. BRS troubleshooter T Harish Rao is treating the election as a matter of prestige and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure victory of pink party candidate P Venkatram Reddy. The pink party won six of the seven Assembly segments that form the Medak Lok Sabha constituency. The saffron party has fielded firebrand leader and former MLA M Raghunandan Rao against Neelam Madhu Mudiraj of the Congress. D Anasuya, better known as Seethakka, faces the challenge of wresting the Adilabad seat from the BJP. To this, she has to utilise all her resources to ensure the victory of Congress candidate Atram Suguna. The BJP has replaced sitting MP Soyam Bapu Rao with former MP Godem Nagesh while the BRS candidate is former MLA Atram Sakkku. The fact that the Congress won only one Assembly segment in the Lok Sabha constituency will make Seethakkas job tougher. However, Suguna is well known in the constituency and carries a positive image. In Zaheerabad, Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, who is in-charge for the seat, also faces discontent among the second-rung leadership over appointments to nominated posts. The Congress has fielded former MP Suresh Shetkar who is considered a strongman. The BJP has fielded sitting MP BB Patil while the BRS fielded Gali Anil Kumar who is also well known in the segment. Much hinges on election results Absence of fervour from the party cadre is leaving the ministers worried as a defeat in elections would tarnish their political prospects Especially worried are the ministers who successfully lobbied for tickets for their close associates

AP: Candidates look for auspicious days to file nomination papers

KURNOOL : The candidates from both ruling and opposition parties are looking for auspicious days to file their nomination papers for Kurnool and Nandyal Lok Sabha as well as Assembly seats, while some of them have already submitted their forms on Thursday, the first day of receiving nomination papers. A few candidates have already decided on dates to file their nomination papers after consulting almanacs and astrologists, while others are still in the process of consulting them. The candidates could file their nomination papers till April 25 between 11 am and 3 pm. They have been asked to arrive before 3 pm to file their nominations. After this cut off time, tokens will be distributed to those waiting in line, and their nominations will be accepted accordingly. Further, candidates submitting nominations online through the Suvidha portal must also physically submit their papers to the constituency assistant returning officers (AROs) by the end of the nomination deadline to avoid invalidation. General Observers assigned to the district will arrive by April 25, and the returning officers concerned will scrutinise the nominations on April 26. The deadline for withdrawing nominations is April 29. Almanac reader and astrologer T Raghurama Sharma, who is the main priest of Sangameswara Swamy temple, said any day is suitable between 11 am and 12.30 pm during Abhijit Lagnam which is continuing at present. As per Krodhi Nama Telugu year almanac, people who belong to Dhanuss, Makara, Karkata and Midhuna Rasis have everything good for them, he said. A majority of candidates are preferring April 18 and 19 as they happen to be the most auspicious days. A few others consider April 22 as a suitable day for filing nominations based on their birth and names. Meanwhile, Kurnool Lok Sabha TDP candidate B Nagaraju, TDP candidate for Kodumur Assembly seat Boggula Dastagiri, YSRC nominee Audimulapu Satish, YSRC candidate Butta Renuka for Yemmiganur, TDP candidate B Jayanageswara Reddy,YSRC candidate for Srisailam Silpa Chakrapani Reddy, TDP candidate Budda Rajasekhar Reddy filed their nominations papers on Thursday. KE Shyam Babu (Pathikonda TDP), Kangati Sridevi (Pathikonda YSRC) and Dr Parthasarathi (Adoni BJP) will be filing their papers on April 19, Alur TDP candidate Veerabhadra Goud on April 20, Adoni YSRC candidate Y Sai Prasad Reddy and Panyam YSRC candidate Katasani Rambhupal Reddy on April 22, Alur YSRC candidate Veerupakshi on April 23 and Panyam TDP candidate Gowru Charitha Reddy on April 24. Apart from this on the very first day of the nominations on Thursday, three candidates filed papers for Kurnool Lok Sabha seat while 12 nominees for seven Assembly seats in Kurnool district. Similarly, two nominations were filed for Nandyal Lok Sabha seat while seven nominations were filed for seven Assembly seats in Nandyal district.

Patients suffer at Kurnool GGH due to lack of adequate fans & ACs

KURNOOL: The persisting heatwave-like conditions and the mercury level crossing 44 degrees Celsius in Kurnool has turned the Government General Hospital into a hot cauldron. The lack of fans, coolers, and air conditioners has exacerbated the situation, turning the lives of in-patients into a nightmare. To escape the sweltering heat and suffocation, several patients and their attendants often take shelter under trees on the hospital premises. The Government General Hospital in Kurnool is considered one of the oldest teaching hospitals in the State. Around 2,500 to 3,000 outpatients are treated for various diseases at the hospital daily. More than 450 doctors render their services at 36 units of the 1,150-bed hospital. Not only from Rayalaseema, but patients from neighbouring Prakasam district, Telanganas Gadwal, and Mahabubnagar as well as from Karnataka visit the hospital to get treated. With the lack of adequate facilities, Kurnool GGH has been seeking the governments attention. Though as many as 800 fans, 150 air conditioners, and 25 coolers were installed in the hospital, 30 per cent of them are said to be under repair. The attendants of patients at the burns ward stated that the unit is better when compared to other wards, where the patients have to face mosquito menace and stinking environment due to poor sanitation, and suffocation in sweltering heat. Speaking to TNIE, G Eswar, an attendant of a patient from Gadwal, said, My father was admitted to the trauma care unit a few days ago. Though the doctors are taking good care of my father, the lack of fans in this scorching heat is testing our patience. We had to bring a fan from our house to beat the heat. Complaining that patients are spending sleepless nights due to lack of ventilation, Ramudu, a patient at Sushruthi Bhavan said that he was more comfortable outdoors rather than indoors. GGH patients assured of better services A staff nurse, who wished not to be named, said that at least three fans were not functioning in their medical unit. Even though we brought the issue to the notice of the authorities to get their repaired, the problem remains unsolved, she said. Another hospital staffer put forth the immediate need for fans and ACs at all units including, surgical, gynaecology, medical, trauma care, and burns ward, besides setting up additional generators to provide uninterrupted power supply in the government general hospital. Responding to this, the Kurnool Government General Hospital officials said that they are taking measures to repair the appliances and ensure better services to the patients during the summer.

Relief From Heat Wave Forecast for AP

VISAKHAPATNAM : Thunderstorms lashed Anantapur and surrounding areas on Thursday, giving a temporary respite from the heat wave, which had been tormenting people of the state for the past three days. According to an IMD Amaravati report issued on Thursday, thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty winds with speed of 3040 kmph are likely at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. Hot, humid and uncomfortable weather is also likely in these areas till April 22. As per the IMD, hot conditions will continue to prevail in the state. But the departure from maximum temperature will be just one or two degrees Celsius. On Thursday, Nandyal recorded the highest temperature of 44. 7 degrees Celsius, with departure of 4.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Anantapur 42.7 degrees with departure of 3.2 degrees, Kurnool 44.6 with departure of 3.9 degrees, Tirupati 42.8 degrees with departure of 3.6 degrees and Nandigam 42.2 degrees Celsius with a departure of 3.2 degrees.

24 Nominations Filed in Kurnool on First Day

Kurnool: On the first day of nominations in the combined Kurnool district, five nominations for Lok Sabha and 19 for assembly segments were filed on Thursday. In Kurnool, B Nagaraju from Telugu Desam, K Jayasudha (Nagaraju's spouse) and Independent candidate T Beechupalli submitted their nominations for the LS polls. SK Ahmed Khaleel from the Social Democratic Party of India and Gajula Abdul Sattar from Anna YSR Congress filed nominations for the Kurnool assembly segment. Satish Adimulapu from the YSRC and Boggula Dastagiri from the Telugu Desam filed their papers for Kodumur constituency. Butta Renuka from the YSRC, B. Jayanageswara Reddy from Telugu Desam, and Byreddy Nityadevi from TD filed the papers for Yemmiganur assembly segment. Asiya Banu Amilivale filed her papers for Adoni from the Bahujana Samaj Party. From Nandyal, MD Atulla Khan from the Social Democratic Party of India and Chinna Moulali from the BSP filed nominations for the Nandyal LS. Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy from YSRC, B. Rajasekhar Reddy from Telugu Desam, B. Sailaja from Telugu Desam and C. Nageswara Rao from Jateeya Chetivruttula Ikya Vedika Party filed their papers for the Srisailam assembly segment. Independent candidates Vishnuvardhan Reddy, B Sravan Kumar and SK Mohammad Fazal filed nominations for the Nandyal assembly segment.

TD Dares Minister Buggana to Visit Laddagiri

Kurnool : Telugu Desam leaders in Dhone took objection to finance minister Buggana Rajendranaths remarks on road conditions in Laddagiri, the native place of former union minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy, who is the TDP candidate from Dhone against the YSRC nominee Buggana. Addressing a press conference at the TD office in Dhone, state party secretary Valasala Ramakrishna, mandal convener Srinivas Yadav, SC cell state representative Gandham Srinivasulu, constituency NDA convener Maharaj, and Jana Sena leader Alla Mohana Reddy asked the finance minister to visit Laddagiri to see for himself the reality. The TD leaders maintained that both Kotla and K.E. groups have contributed immensely to local development. They asked Buggana to explain of what utility tourism centres, guesthouses and clubhouses developed by the minister will be for common people. They emphasised on importance of developmental projects initiated during the reign of former chief minister Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy and Kotla Sujathamma, which include establishment of Indiramma houses, drinking water facilities, a 30-bed hospital in Dhone, residential schools, and a railway overbridge. The TD leaders maintained that the finance minister is making negative statements fearing his defeat in the forthcoming elections.

YSRC complains to CEO seeking action against Nara Lokesh

VIJAYAWADA: The YSRC on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer to intervene and direct TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh to remove the Psycho Povali....Cycle Ravali song from the latters Youtube channel and also from playing it in public meetings. YSRC Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu and others submitted a representation to Additional CEO Koteswara Rao stating that the TDP is playing the provocative song terming the Chief Minister as a Psycho. The search of the song online would indicate that it was uploaded and published on the Youtube channel of Lokesh. The song is in violation of the Model Code of Conduct, Vishnu said and wanted the ECI to direct TDP to desist from playing the song in public meetings. Vishnu also sought stringent action against Lokesh and TDP for such alleged inflammatory, defamatory and obnoxious actions. In another representation, Vishnu lodged a complaint against Hindupur TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna for making personal remarks against Jagan Mohan Reddy during the Swarnandhra Sakara Yatra in Kurnool. Vishnu said Balakrishnas remarks were replete with statements and expressions intended to denigrate and belittle his political adversaries, thus straying far from the norms of respectful and dignified campaigning. They urged the ECI to investigate into the speech of the leader for violation of the MCC.

11-day Vontimitta Rama Navami Brahmotsavams commences

TIRUPATI: The annual Sri Rama Navami Brahmotsavams commenced on a grand note at Sri Kodanda Ramalayam in Vontimitta with Dwajarohanam on Wednesday. In Vontimitta, the entire temple premises reverberated with rhythmic Vedic mantras from the Pancharatra Agama. The Garuda flag was hoisted on the temple pillar in the auspicious Mithuna Lagnam amidst holy chanting. Each deity, including Asta Dikpalakas, Vishwaksena, and Panchabhutas, was appeased and invited to take part in the mega-religious event by rendering a specific raga and tala. Various talams like Akhya talam, Varuna talam, Eka talam, Adi talam, Jampala talam, Bhringini talam, Rupaka talam, Gamdharva talam, and Nandi talam, besides ragas like Anandavardhana Ragam, Suruti Ragam, Nadanamakriya, and others, were played melodiously on Nadaswaram. Speaking on the occasion, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Joint Executive Officer (JEO) Veerabrahmam said the annual utsavams commenced with grandeur and the celestial Sita Rama Kalyanam will be held on April 22 between 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm. The TTD continuously served delicious Annaprasadams to thousands of visiting devotees during the Brahmotsavams. Drinking water and buttermilk were continuously provided to the devotees who came for darshan. The TTD also erected German sheds and arranged coolers at the temple premises for the devotees comfort. Breakfast is served at 7 am every day, and from 6.30 to 7 pm, rice, sambar, rasam, buttermilk, green tea, curry, and sweet pongal are offered. TTD has deployed around 50 Annaprasadam department staff to cater to the devotees needs by preparing delicious delicacies. On the other hand, the Sri Rama Navami festival was observed with celestial fervor at the Sri Kodanda Rama Swamy temple in Tirupati. processional deities decked up for 11-day Rama Navami Brahmotsavams at Sri Kodanda Ramalayam in Vontimitta Snapana Tirumanjanam was also observed for the deities of Sri Sita Rama Lakshmana and Hanumantha in the morning. In the evening, Asthanam was performed, during which Sri Pedda Jeeyar Swamy of Tirumala presented new Vastrams to the presiding deity as well as the Utsava deities. Lord Rama was taken on a celestial ride on Hanumanta Vahana in the evening. Elsewhere, the Snapana Tirumanjanam for the deities of Sri Sita Lakshmana Anjaneya sameta Sri Ramachandra Murty was conducted on Wednesday at Ranganayakula Mandapam in Tirumala temple as part of the Sri Rama Navami festival. Tirumala Pontiff Pedda Jeeyar Swamy, EO AV Dharma Reddy, and other officials were present. Voluntary service of Srivari Sevaks gains popularity The role of Srivari Sevaks rendering voluntary service in Vontimitta Sri Kodanda Ramalayam is gaining popularity akin to Tirumala. Hundreds of sevaks are enthusiastically coming forward to participate in serving fellow devotees in various areas such as Annaprasadam, distribution of buttermilk and water, managing pilgrim crowd during the annual Brahmotsavams at Vontimitta. The popularity of the State festival of Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam at Vontimitta Kodanda Ramalayam has spread across Andhra Pradesh. With this, the devotees not only from Kadapa and Annamaiah districts, but also from Kurnool, Rajamahendravaram and other districts are seen participating voluntarily as Srivari Sevaks. The TTD has invited services of 500 sevaks everyday, while drafted another 1,200 exclusively for Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam on April 22. Besides, another 300 are deployed for the preparation of Talambralu. hundreds of devotees thronged the temple in Tirupati on Wednesday

BJP to make a spectacle of nominations in Telangana

HYDERABAD: With the Election Commission of India set to issue the notification for fourth phase of the 2024 General Elections on Thursday, all political parties plan to make most of the filing of nominations. Sources in the BJP say that the saffron party is keen that its candidates make a huge show of the process of filing of nominations by taking out massive rallies. The party plans to deploy chief ministers from various BJP-ruled states, Union ministers and other important national leaders to be part of these rallies. BJP state chief and Union minister G Kishan Reddy, who is contesting from Secunderabad constituency will file his nomination on April 19. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will escort Kishan Reddy to the Secunderabad collectors office where the latter will file his nomination papers. BJP sources said that Rajnath Singh will arrive in Hyderabad on April 18 and will hold a meeting with retired Army officials. Following Kishan Reddys nomination rally, he will visit Khammam. BJP Malkajgiri candidate Eatala Rajender is scheduled to file his nomination papers on April 18. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma is likely to attend this rally. On the same day, Medak candidate M Raghunandan Rao will file his papers and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Kishan Reddy will attend the rally at Sangareddy. BJP national vice president DK Aruna will file her nomination papers for the Mahbubnagar seat on April 18 accompanied by partys OBC Morcha national president K Laxman. Reports suggest that BJP Nizamabad candidate Dharmapuri Arvind will file his nomination papers on April 19, accompanied by turmeric farmers. Karimnagar candidate Bandi Sanjay is scheduled to file his nomination papers on April 25. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel will take part in the rally. Patel will address a public meeting at Nagarkurnool later in the day. The other candidates from the BJP are also planning to make their nominations memorable.

Doctors in fray to gauge peoples pulse

VIJAYAWADA: Medical professionals getting elected to the legislative bodies is not new. Andhra Pradesh has a history of several doctors contesting the elections and successfully entering the State Assembly. Who can forget that former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy was a doctor by profession? This time too, several doctors are contesting the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats. Here are some names Seediri Appalaraju He did his MBBS from Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada and MD from Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam. Practised for 10 years as a doctor, before taking the plunge into politics in 2019. He joined the YSRC, contested Palasa Assembly seat, won, and became a minister in YS Jagan Mohan Reddys Cabinet. Now, he is contesting the same seat on YSRC ticket Tale Rajesh This 43-year-old candidate hails from a political family. His father Tale Bhadrayya represented Palakonda twice as an MLA. He did MBBS, DNB (Orthopedic Surgeon), and worked at Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital. He joined the YSRC and is now contesting the Rajam Assembly seat Chetti Tanuja Rani A medical professional with a specialisation in epidemiology, Rani holds a medical degree from the International School of Medicine-International University of Kyrgyzstan. Before her political journey, she served as a medical officer in ASR District Medical and Health Office in Paderu. Daughter of former BSNL officer Syam Sunder and nurse Varalakshmi, Tanujas political entry marks a significant transition. Her father-in-law is Araku MLA Chetti Palguna, and her husband Vinay is an active member of the ruling party. She is contesting from Araku, the largest Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Prades on YSRC ticket Dasari Sudha Dasari Sudha She did her MBBS from Kurnool Medical College in 1999 and worked as a doctor in a private hospital in Kadapa. Her husband Dr G Venkata Subbaiah was Badvel MLA and died of illness in 2021. She contested on YSRC ticket in the byelection and won with a thumping majority. Byreddy Sabari Her father Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy is a former minister. She worked as a gastroenterologist at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad and earned acclaim for her surgical expertise. She started her political career with the BJP, and recently joined TDP. She is contesting from the Nandyal LS seat. Sathi Suryanarayana Reddy Sathi Suryanarayana Reddy A medical professional, who did his MS in General Surgery from University of Mysore, plunged into politics and joined the Congress in 2011. He joined the YSRC in 2014, and unsuccessfully contested from Anaparthi. In 2014, he won the seat and the YSRC has fielded him again from Anaparthi. Guduri Srinivas A noted pulmonologist, he did his MBBS from Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, and was a gold medalist. Later, he did his DLO (ENT and MD (Pulmonology). He worked as a Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at GSL Medical College for 10 years. He established a 100-bed Cardio Respiratory Centre -- Vijaya Bharathi Chest Institute in Rajahmundry. Taking a plunge into politics, he joined the YSRC. He is contesting the Rajahmundry Lok Sabah seat now. ME Sunil Kumar He is a medical professional from a political family. Sunils father K Eranna is a former MLA from Madakasira belonging to the TDP. Sunil, who did his BDS from Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences, worked as a doctor in a government hospital in Hindupur. Deciding to follow the footsteps of his father, he joined the TDP. He is in the election fray from Madakasira constituency. M Sudheer Reddy Hailing from a political family, he did his MBBS from Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Science, Mandya, Karnataka. Later, completed his Diploma in Anesthesia. Nephew of ex-minister MV Mysura Reddy, he joined the YSRC in 2011 and contested for the first time from Jammalamadugu in 2019 and won. He is in the election fray from the same segment.

After coasting to victory in 2019, BRS nominees find themselves struggling

HYDERABAD: The BRS, whose candidates won the 2019 General Elections with huge margins ranging from 75,000 to 3.6 lakh votes, appears to be struggling to hold on to its seats five years later. The partys struggle has got a lot to do with the fact that it faced a bitter defeat in the 2023 Assembly elections. Subsequently, some MLAs and a few sitting MPs shifted their loyalties to other parties, leaving the second-rung leaders demoralised. The BRS won nine Lok Sabha seats in 2019, and seven of these seats were won with huge majorities. In the last election, Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, the BRS candidate from Medak, party president K Chandrasekhar Raos native district, won with a majority of 3.15 lakh votes. The BRS polled 5.96 lakh votes, the Congress 2.79 lakh and the BJP 2.01 lakh votes. Shifting dynamics, and switching parties In Warangal, BRS nominee Pasunoori Dayakar was elected by a margin of 3.5 lakh votes. Dayakar secured 6.12 lakh votes, the Congress candidate 2.62 lakh and BJP 83,777 votes in 2019. Five years later, the situation has completely changed, with Dayakar joining the Congress and the BRS fielding M Sudheer Kumar. Notably, Sudheer Kumar is not the first choice of the BRS; its initial pick Kadiyam Kavya joined the Congress along with her father Kadiyam Srihari. In Nagarkurnool LS segment, P Ramulu won by 1.89 lakh votes, polling a total of 4.99 lakh votes. The Congress secured second position with 3.09 lakh votes and the BJP got 1.29 lakh votes in 2019. However, Ramulu has now joined the BJP, which has fielded his son Bharat as its candidate. The BRS has fielded former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar. BRS candidate Borlakunta Venkatesh Netha won from the Peddapalli constituency with a majority of 95,000 votes, polling a total of 4.41 lakh votes. The Congress candidate got 3.4 lakh votes and the BJP 92,000 votes in 2019. However, Venkatesh is now in the Congress. In Mahbubnagar, Manne Srinivas Reddy won the seat by a margin of 77,829 votes. He secured a total 4.11 lakh votes against the BJP candidates 3.33 lakh while the Congress nominee secured 1.93 lakh votes in 2019. Srinivas Reddy is testing his luck again, but the situation has changed radically with the BRS not winning even a single Assembly segment that forms the Lok Sabha seat. Moreover, Chief Minister A Revanth Redy has been focusing all his attention on Mahbubnagar seat as this is his native district. Kavitha faces uphill task In Mahabubabad, Maloth Kavitha was elected by a margin of 1.46 lakh votes. She has been fielded again by the BRS. Kavitha secured 4.62 lakh votes, the Congress 3.15 lakh votes and the BJP only 25,487 votes in the 2019 elections. However, the BRS failed to win a single Assembly segment that comes under the Mahabubabad Lok Sabha seat in 2023. In Khammam, Nama Nageswara Rao was elected to the Lok Sabha by a margin of 1.68 lakh votes over the Congress candidate. While Nageswara Rao polled 5.67 lakh votes, the grand old party got 3.99 lakh votes and BJP only 20,488. He is back in the fray, but the only BRS MLA from the district has now joined the Congress. With the Congress mounting an aggressive challenge, the contest for supremacy in the segment has become a focal point of curiosity. 5 years for turnaround BRS won nine Lok Sabha seats in 2019, and seven of these seats were won with huge majorities However, the party was defeated in the 2023 Assembly elections, losing to the Congress Subsequently, some MLAs and sitting MPs left the party, leaving the second-rung leaders demoralised

I give Six Guarantees to people of Kurnool: TG Bharath

Industrialist TG Bharath, who is the TDP nominee for Kurnool Assembly constituency, has come up with Six Guarantees in addition to the partys Super Six to develop Kurnool as a Smart City. Bharath has asserted that he will not contest the elections in 2029 if he fails to implement his Six Guarantees during the next five years after the win in the elections. In an interview with K Madhu Sudhakar, TG Bharath vowed to strive to get High Court Bench to Kurnool within six months after the formation of the NDA government in the State and at the Centre. What are the major problems of Kurnool Assembly constituency? As many as 39 out of the total 52 divisions in the Kurnool Municipal Corporation are facing acute shortage of drinking water. It is also facing severe traffic congestion, drainage problem, lack of employment opportunities and several other issues. Construction of flood retention wall and setting up of the High Court Bench in Kurnool are long pending demands of the people. What is your development agenda? I have prepared a separate agenda to develop the city the name of TG Bharaths Six Guarantees for Kurnool. Developing Kurnool as a Smart City, setting up of new industries to generate employment for local youth, safety and security of women, besides their economic empowerment, ensuring the welfare of every household, making Kurnool Government General Hospital the number one multi-super specialty hospital, and establishment of the High Court Bench are major aspects of the development agenda. What are your social service activities? My father TG Venkatesh and I have been actively involved in social service activities in the district for a quite long time. Our social service activities include performance of mass marriages of poor boys and girls, setting up of mineral water plants, conduct of medical camps and job melas and construction of schools, community halls, Kalyana Mandapams and other structures, and extension of financial aid to the poor and needy people. I have also launched a special drive to curb mosquito menace in Kurnool city. I have also been striving to promote communal harmony in the city in a big way by taking up several initiatives to reach out to Muslim minorities in the city. How do you rate your winning chances? Our victory in the election is certain and there is no doubt at all. We are set to thwart the YSRCs bid to secure hat-trick win of Kurnool Assembly seat. It is a known fact that former Kurnool MLAs SV Mohan Reddy and Abdul Hafeez Khan have failed to deliver goods. My father TG Venkateshs contribution to the development of Kurnool as a former MP and minister, and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidus growth vision will ensure our victory in the elections. What is your campaign strategy? I am trying to meet every individual in the constituency if he is voter or not. I offer health card to each and every household in the Assembly constituency to undergo free medical check up at Gowri Gopal Hospital in the city. About one lakh health cards have been distributed to the people of the constituency so far. It is not a political sop, it is a health gift to every individual irrespective of his political affiliation. I will focus on highlighting the Super Six of the TDP and my Six Guarantees, besides laying emphasis on my vision for 2024-29 to win the peoples trust.

State Told To Seek Instructions for Post of Consumer Redressal Commission Head

Hyderabad: A two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Anil Kumar, directed the state government to seek instructions as to when the post of president to the state consumer redressal commission will be filled. The post has been lying vacant since the retirement of former president M.S.K. Jaiswal. The panel was dealing with a PIL filed by a practising advocate of the High Court, Baglekar Akash Kumar, who appeared party in person contending that the general administration department (GAD), Government of Telangana, and the Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited had failed to fill up the post of president in Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Earlier the procedure for the appointment of the president was in consultation with the Chief Justice of the state. However, the apex court put in a selection process for retired High Court judges who aspire to hold the post. On an earlier occasion, the court was informed that a review petition was filed in the apex court and an order was awaited. The state government sought time to seek instructions regarding the same to appraise the court. The matter has been adjourned to June 10 for further action. No bar on notice proposing no-trust vote against municipal chief: HC Justice T. Vinod Kumar of the Telangana High Court ruled that a notice proposing to conduct a no-confidence motion moved against any chairperson of the municipal council during subsistence of the election code issued for the general elections is not barred by law. The judge made the observation while dealing with a writ plea filed by R. Vijayalakshmi, chairperson of Kollapur municipal council, Nagarkurnool district. The petitioner challenged a notice issued by the Nagarkurnool district collector and election officer proposing to conduct the meeting for considering the no-confidence motion moved against the petitioner during the subsistence of the election code issued for the Lok Sabha elections. The standing counsel, appearing for the municipal corporation, informed the court that there is no provision in the act that prohibits continuing with no-confidence motion during the General elections. The judge accordingly closed the writ petition. Alwal MRO directed to inquire into mutations Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court directed the Alwal MRO to conduct denovo inquiry into the mutations carried out with regard to 24 acres of land at Kowkur village, Alwal. The court was dealing with a writ petition filed by Gopal Krishna constructions, a realtor company, contending that the MRO conducted the mutation proceedings in lands owned by it without giving any notice. The mutation was carried out in favour of the legal representatives of the original owner who had already sold the land to the petitioner company. The petitioner alleged fraud and misrepresentation and demanded a fresh inquiry by giving due notices to it. The court accordingly allowed the writ petition directing a fresh inquiry.

YSRC Complains to EC Against Balakrishna for Insulting CM

Vijayawada : YSRC on Wednesday demanded that the Election Commission of India take immediate action against Telugu Desam leader Nandamuri Balakrishna for calling Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as Janakanthri and Mudarashta Valakam. In a complaint filed with additional chief electoral officer Koteswara Rao, YSRC MLA Malladi Vishnu charged that the opposition NDA alliance is unable to bear the overwhelming response to the ongoing Memantha Siddham bus yatra. The alliance is thus hatching conspiracies to defame YSRC and its leaders. In this regard, MLA Vishnu said TD Hindupur candidate Balakrishna's comments Janakanthri and Mudarashta Valakam made at the prominent actors Kurnool meeting on April 16 are disgusting and against the election rules. Hence, they have been brought to the notice of the ECI. Vishnu underlined that Balakrishna, who had not visited Hindupur for five years while TDP had been in power, is now talking ill about the Chief Minister. In another complaint to the Election Commission, the YSRC MLA said the song Psycho Povali, Cycle Raavali is against the election rules. He demanded that it be immediately removed from TD leader Nara Lokesh's YouTube channel. Vishnu was accompanied by leaders Ravela Kishore Babu, Ankamreddy Naga Narayanamurthy and YSRC legal cell member Srinivasa Reddy.

BJP, Cong set to field 'made in BRS' leaders for LS polls

After victory in the Assembly elections, the Congress is now focusing on the Lok Sabha elections.(Image source:PTI) After victory in the Assembly elections, the Congress is now focusing on the Lok Sabha elections.(Image source:PTI) Hyderabad: The BJP and the Congress may have much to thank their arch rival BRS for in this years Lok Sabha elections in Telangana. And with nominations for the May 13 polling for the elections set to begin on Thursday, the stage is set for nine of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies where leaders, who were until recently in the BRS, and in some cases turned their party colours on a dime and were made candidates of the parties they joined, take on their former party colleagues. These political friends turned political foes will face off. if the parties do not make any last-minute changes, in Warangal, Nalgonda, Adilabad, Mahbubabad, Zaheerabad, Chevella, Malkajgiri and Secunderabad constituencies. While in eight of these constituencies it is a single BRS leader who jumped ship to join either the BJP or the Congress, it is in Warangal that the BRS lost two of its leaders to the other parties. One of them, Dr. Kadiam Kavya, quit the BRS two days after she was declared as the BRS candidate by party president K. Chandrashekar Rao, and joined the Congress and was immediately named as its candidate. The second to have jumped the BRS ship is Aroori Ramesh, a former BRS MLA who switched to the BJP and was equally promptly rewarded by the BJP, which declared him as its candidate in Warangal. The fast developments in Warangal led to some serious consternation in the BRS and its leaders slammed Kavya, and her father and senior BRS leader Kadiam Srihari, who too joined the Congress along with his daughter on March 31, and accused them of backstabbing their parent party. These sudden, but not unexpected, developments forced the BRS to rethink its strategy, and prospects in Warangal and it finally on April 12 named Dr. Marepalli Sudhir Kumar, the Hanamkonda municipal chairman. as its face for the Lok Sabha seat battle in the constituency. In all, the BRS lost five of its leaders to the BJP, and four to Congress and all these nine got tickets from the parties that they joined. On the positive side for the BRS amidst this quit-the-party-while-you-can-run rush, it had just one gain, that of BSPs R.S. Praveen Kumar, who joined the BRS party. The BRS also gave its tickets to two long-time joinees to fight on its behalf from Malkajgiri and Chevella constituencies. Who went from where to where Name LS Constituency/Party ticket The Jump R.S. Praveen Kumar Nagarkurnool/BRS to BRS from BSP Dr. Kadiam Kavya Warangal/Cong to Cong from BRS Sanampudi Saidireddy Nalgonda/BJP to BJP from BRS Aroori Ramesh Warangal/BJP to BJP from BRS Godem Nagesh Adilabad/BJP to BJP from BRS Azmeera Seetaram Naik Mahbubabad/BJP to BJP from BRS B.B. Patil Zaheerabad/BJP to BJP from BRS G. Ranjith Reddy Chevella/Cong to Cong from BRS Ragidi Laxma Reddy Malkajgiri/BRS to BRS from Cong (in October 2023) Kasani Gnaneshwar Mudiraj - Chevella/BRS) to BRS from TDP (in November 2023) Sunitha Mahender Reddy Malkajgiri/Cong to Cong from BRS Danam Nagender Secunderabad/Cong to Cong from BRS

Kotla Claiming Credit for YSR's Houses: Buggana

Kurnool: Finance minister Buggana Rajendranathlambasted Telugu Desam candidate Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy for wrongfully claiming credit for houses built by late chief minister Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddys Congress government. Addressing party workers in Dhone on Wednesday, he said opposition leaders are even forgetting names of villages, fearing the defeat they are about to face. Rajendranath referred to historical figures, such as Buggana Sesha Reddy, who had been active in politics even before independence. The minister questioned the whereabouts of Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy, pointing to the latters absence from Dhone for 15 years following a defeat. The minister announced plans to provide purified drinking water to the entire Dhone constituency within the next two months using the reverse osmosis method. Regarding the announcement of drought-hit mandals, he clarified that only eight mandals in Nandyal district have been declared drought-prone by the centre. Rajendranath announced a return gift to YSRC leaders who have migrated to opposition parties for personal gain after receiving support and assistance from the ruling YSR Congress.

Mercury in AP Continues to Rise, Touches 43.5 Degrees Celsius in Kurnool

Anantapur: Andhra Pradesh is on the boil again with mercury levels rising on Wednesday and touching 44 degrees Celsius in Nandyal district, followed by 43.5 in Kurnool and 43.44 degrees Celsius in Anantapur district. Many temperature gauges across the state have crossed the 42 degrees Celsius mark. Temperatures, which had come down a couple of days ago, have started rising again by an average four degrees above the normal at several points in the state, particularly in the Rayalaseema region. Tarimela in Singanamala mandal in Anantapur district recorded 43.44 degrees Celsius. Tadipatri registered 43 degrees, official sources said. Jangamaheswarapuram recorded 43.2 degrees Celsius and Kadapa 42.2 degrees. Mercury levels had touched 45 degrees last week in Anantapur and Kurnool districts. However, they fell to 39 degrees three days ago. Elsewhere in AP, Narasapur area recorded 34.9 degrees Celsius while Vizag recorded 35.2 degrees; these being the lowest temperatures recorded on Wednesday. Scientists say the failure of the previous South West Monsoon has resulted in high mercury levels in the Rayalaseema region.

Local Bigwigs Trouble New Faces in Nandikotkur Poll Fray

Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh chairman Byreddy Siddharth Reddy said that during 2014-19, Lokesh and Naidu were involved in a scam of Rs 250 crore in the grant of a contract to Siemens. The father-son duo stole a large amount of the government or public money. (Image Source: facebook) Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh chairman Byreddy Siddharth Reddy said that during 2014-19, Lokesh and Naidu were involved in a scam of Rs 250 crore in the grant of a contract to Siemens. The father-son duo stole a large amount of the government or public money. (Image Source: facebook) Kurnool: Domination by local leaders is causing inconvenience to candidates of both the YSRC and Telugu Desam in the reserved constituency of Nandikotkur in Nandyal district. It has become a common practice for local leaders to exert influence on candidates and create troubles if they refuse to budge. During the last tenure, SAAP chairman Byreddy Siddartha Reddy of the YSRC held sway as legislator in both party activities and development matters. This resulted in disputes between retired IPS officer and MLA Thoguru Arthur and Siddartha Reddy, ultimately leading to Arthur's resignation from the party. Arthus is now the Congress candidate. Following the resignation of the sitting legislator, the YSRC announced the candidacy of Dr Sudhir Dara, a newcomer from Kadapa district. As Arthur had a strong cadre base in the constituency, the newcomer is facing difficulties in garnering support from the YSRC leaders and cadres. A similar situation prevails in the TD. The party nominated newcomer G. Jayasurya, said to be a follower of Mandra Sivananda Reddy, from the same constituency. Sivananda Reddy is a realtor who sought the MP seat from Nandyal, but TD preferred Byreddy Shabari as the alliance candidate, after she switched loyalty from the BJP. Previously, she served as the district president of the BJP. When Telugu Desam senior leader and Hindupur legislator Nandamuri Balakrishna visited the constituency recently, flex boards were displayed without the photo and mention of the party's Lok Sabha candidate Shabari. This caused protests within the party. Some leaders boycotted Balakrishna's programmes. TDs Nandikotkur candidate Jayasurya is said to have followed the directions of Mandra Sivananda and faced backlash from the party cadre. Leaders attributed this to the anti-party activities of Sivananda Reddy, who failed to secure the party's LS ticket from Nandyal. The Nandikotkur reserved constituency comprises seven mandals, including Nandikotkur, Pagidyala, Jupadu Bungalow, Kothapalle, Pamulapadu and Midthur. It was a general assembly segment until 2009, when it became reserved. In 2004, Gowru Charita Reddy from the Congress represented the constituency; and Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy also served as a legislator from there after the 1994 and 1999 polls. Labbi Venkata Swamy from the Congress won the polls in 2009, followed by Isaiah Yekkaladevi from the YSRC in 2014, and retired police officer T. Arthur in 2019, both representing the YSRC. This time, Dr Sudhir Dara is contesting from the ruling YSRC, Gitta Jayasurya from the opposition, and the recent legislator Arthur is representing the Congress. Political observers anticipate a triangular contest. Arthur is having wide contacts in the constituency while the other two parties strive to garner voter support.

Took up development projects worth Rs 3,000 crore in Dhone: AP Finance Minister

Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy is vying to secure a hat-trick win from the Dhone Assembly segment in Kurnool district. In an interview with K Madhu Sudhakar, the legislator elaborates on the development works worth Rs 3,000 crore taken up in his constituency. On YS Sharmilas entry into politics, Buggana asserted that the APCC chiefs electoral debut will have no impact on YSRCs prospects. Can you elaborate on the development projects taken up during your tenure as Dhone MLA? During my tenure, I took up development works worth Rs 3,000 crore in Dhone Assembly constituency. There were issues pertaining to water supply, roads, job opportunities and even hospitals till 2014. Keeping these issues in mind, I was able to take up several projects such as establishing 100-bed hospital with modern medical equipment at a cost of Rs 37 crore, Rs 351-crore water grid to supply purified water to every house and taps connection with Rs 44 crore. Additionally, irrigation projects were taken up with Rs 254 crore to tackle drought conditions, roads leading to various towns and highway from Dhone to Nandyal were built with Rs 630 crore. To improve standards of education, junior college and BC residential school was built with Rs 36 crore, Industrial Training Institute with Rs 11 crore, junior college and social welfare school with Rs 28 crore, junior college and BC welfare school with Rs 36 crore, polytechnic college with Rs 25 crore and veterinary polytechnic college with Rs 11 crore. An integrated terminal market was also set up with Rs 49.50 crore, among other development projects. Are there any issues that still need to be addressed? Dhone constituency is a drought-hit zone. Hence, there is need to do some more work such as resolving drinking and irrigation issues. My next priority would be to find permanent solutions to all issues. I sill lay special focus on creating job opportunities and providing work locally to every job seeker here. Additionally, Dhone will be made a model constituency in the State for next five years. Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy, the TDPs candidate in Dhone, has a stronghold over Kurnool region. It appears he could give you a tough fight. Prakash Reddy is banking on the work done by his father and former chief minister Kotla Vijayabhaskhar Reddy, which will not help his electoral prospects. He has failed to contribute to the development of Dhone. During his tenure as the Union Minister of State for Railways, he had promised to establish a railway coach factory in Dhone, but did not keep his word. After being absent from the political scene in Dhone for nearly 15 years, Prakash Reddy has returned to the constituency solely to protect his political interests. Him and his family have contested from various other segments in the region over the past few years. If he doesnt win Dhone seat, where will he go next? He seems to have no fixed address. He keeps shifting his focus from one place to another as per his convenience. Laddagiri village, where his father was born, has no road connecting to the the town. Will YS Sharmila Reddys entry into electoral politics have an impact on YSRCs prospects of securing another term in the State? Congress party has no significance in the State. YS Sharmilas entry in electoral politics will have zero impact on the YSRCs prospects in the elections. No one even remembers the names of Congress MLAs. How will they even make an impact?

Severe heatwave likely to hit 63 mandals of AP today

VISAKHAPATNAM : The prevailing hot weather conditions across the State are likely to persist, with a heatwave expected to be recorded for the next three days. According to the India Meteorological Department Amaravati Centre forecast, isolated places in North Coastal AP (NCAP), Yanam, and South Coastal AP (SCAP) are likely to experience heatwave conditions, while Rayalaseema may face hot, humid, and discomforting weather. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has identified 63 mandals, including three in Alluri Sitarama Raju, four in Anakapalle, two in East Godavari, one in Eluru, three in Kakinada, 13 in Parvathipuram-Manyam, 15 in Srikakulam, and 22 in Vizianagaram, are likely to record severe heatwave conditions. Additionally, 130 mandals are expected to experience heatwave conditions. As many as 38 mandals recorded severe heatwaves and 75 mandals recorded heatwaves on Monday. Nandyal recorded the highest maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius, followed by Kurnool at 41.8 degrees Celsius, Nandigama at 40.8, Jangamaheshwarapuram at 40.6, Tirupati and Kadapa at 40.4, and Anantapur at 40.3 degrees Celsius. IMD forecasts above-normal southwest monsoon The IMD has released its long-range forecast for the southwest monsoon, predicting above-normal rainfall for Andhra Pradesh from June to September. This forecast attributes the anticipated rainfall to moderate El Nio conditions currently prevailing over the equatorial Pacific region. Climate models suggest a transition to neutral conditions at the beginning of the monsoon season, followed by La Nia conditions in second half of the season. Nandyal records highest temp of 43C As many as 38 mandals recorded severe heatwaves and 75 mandals recorded heatwaves on Monday. Nandyal recorded the highest temperature of 43C, followed by Kurnool at 41.8, Nandigama at 40.8, Jangamaheshwarapuram at 40.6, Tirupati at 40.4C

Kurnool Gets a Digital Lifeline for the Visually Impaired

Kurnool: A beacon of opportunity opened its doors for the visually impaired community in Kurnool on Monday. District collector G. Srijana inaugurated a digital library specifically designed for their needs, located at the Skill Development Centre of the National Federation of the Blind. This initiative marks a significant step towards inclusion. Collector Srijana emphasised the library's role in empowering visually impaired and physically challenged individuals by providing them with accessible study materials, resources for competitive exams, and a vast collection of literary works. Highlighting the importance of digital accessibility, the collector acknowledged the transformative potential of technology. She pledged continued support to expand similar projects, ensuring wider access to these invaluable resources. Collector Srijana further expressed her commitment to exploring new assistive software and systems. This dedication reflects a focus on fostering inclusivity and effectively addressing the diverse needs within the visually impaired community. As a concrete step towards this objective, she confirmed the provision of six computers to equip the digital library, solidifying the initiative's foundation. Chief planning officer Hima Prabhakar Raju, joint director of the social welfare department Ranga Lakshmidevi, and other dignitaries marked their presence at the inauguration ceremony, signifying a collaborative effort towards a more empowered future for the visually impaired community in Kurnool.

In Andhra Pradesh, Class 7 Student Makes Mini Cooler Using Empty Plastic Box

Ayan, a class 7 student of Lakshmi Nagar Ramakrishna Vidyalayam School in Kurnool town of Andhra Pradesh, made a mini cooler out of an empty can he had at home.

Cutting into traditional BRS vote share key to success of Congress, BJP in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Traditional BRS voters are likely to swing the fortunes of political parties in 10 constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party -- be it the Congress or BJP -- that manages to attract these voters to their side will stand to make major electoral gains. While the BRS is determined to regain its lost ground in the parliament elections after losing power in the state, the Congress will be leaving no stone unturned to consolidate its position after forming government in Telangana for the first time after formation of the state. For the state BJP too, winning maximum number of Lok Sabha seats is important as it wants to contribute to the partys efforts to form the government at the Centre for third consecutive time and, at the same time, emerge as dominant political party in Telangana. For the Congress as well as the BJP, splitting and cutting into the traditional BRS vote share would be the key to their success in the coming elections. The old guard of the BRS switched loyalty either to the Congress or BJP, demoralising the cadre of the pink party. Their strong connections with the second-rung leaders and grassroot workers will translate into votes and fetch considerable gains to the party in which they are now. The BRS secured 40 per cent of vote share in the last parliament elections and 37.35 per cent in the recent Assembly elections. The Congress by securing 39.40 per cent vote share 1.9 per cent higher than that of its rival BRS came to power in the last Assembly elections. The grand old party had a vote share of 29.79 percent in the 2019 parliament elections and the BJP secured 19.65 percent vote-share. Interestingly, the BJP secured 13.90 per cent vote share in the recent Assembly elections. In most cases, the supporters of the BRS also followed their leaders when the latter switched loyalty to the Congress and the BJP. These supporters could play a key role in the victory of a candidate. BJP fielded nine former BRS leaders Keeping this factor in mind, the BJP has fielded leaders with BRS background in nine out of 17 segments like Eatala Rajender in Malkajgiri, BB Patil in Zaheerabad, P Ramulus son Bharat in Nagarkurnool, Sanampudi Saidi Reddy in Nalgonda, Boora Narsaiah in Bhongir, Aroori Ramesh in Warangal, Godam Nagesh in Adilabad, Prof Seetaram Naik in Mahbubabad, and Konda Visweshwar Reddy in Chevella. These leaders have at least 20 per cent vote share in the constituency including 10 to 15 per cent from their supporters from the BRS and the remaining from the party to which they have shifted their loyalty. Their victory would be possible if they could garner 10 percent more vote share in their respective constituencies. Following the same strategy as its rival BJP, the Congress too has welcomed into its fold Chevella sitting MP G Ranjith Reddy, Vikarabad ZP chairperson Patnam Sunitha Mahender Reddy along with her husband and MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy, MLA Kadiyam Srihari and his daughter Kavya, MLA Danam Nagender, Pasunuri Dayakar (Warangal MP) and B Venkatesh Netha (Peddapalli MP) and other influential leaders from the BRS. The ruling Congress is expecting these leaders to garner a huge chunk of BRS vote share and help it win a maximum number of Lok Sabha seats. It also considers the BJP its main rival, not the BRS in the parliament elections. Big three conducting weekly surveys According to sources, the three parties are getting weekly surveys trough third party teams and analysing the data and making extra efforts to strengthen their support base in the coming next 20 days. The ruling party internal survey is said to indicate that it has clear edge in six Lok Sabha seats and a tight fight in four-five segments. Based on the surveys reports, the state Congress leadership has shifted more focus to split the BRS vote share in the segments where its up against strong rival. The saffron party which is eying 10 seats in Telangana is learnt to have engaged a third party to get ground report and strategise its plans accordingly under the supervision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Its internal survey, according to sources, indicates a clear-cut edge for the party in five constituencies and close fight with the Congress and BRS in two. Similarly, the BRS, as per its internal survey, has advantage in three constituencies. Party president K Chandrasekhar Rao has commissioned a survey and three different teams are working to get weekly reports on the position of his party in the constituencies where it has strong support base. The idea is to preserve it and improve its vote share in other segments.

Caste associations extend support to Congress, BJP in Telangana

HYDERABAD: With the Lok Sabha elections less than a month away, caste associations in Telangana are likely to help the political parties secure seats. Some of these bodies are not only actively supporting the Congress and the BJP but have also endorsed candidates of these parties. With Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Backward Classes (BC) comprising over 80 per cent of the population in Telangana, the votes of these communities become crucial for parties hoping to bag the most numbers of seats in the state. Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) chief Manda Krishna Madiga has not only extended support to the BJP but is also campaigning for saffron party candidates across the state. The BJP-led Union government has constituted a committee to examine the sub-categorisation of the SCs, which is a longtime demand of the MRPS. Soon after the decision was announced, Manda Krishna declared his support for the saffron party. Political observers said his speeches in the run-up to the Assembly polls also toed the BJP line. Madiga Dandora extends supports Congress However, the Madiga Dandora, another association, has extended its support to the Congress. It is believed that the Madiga community, which is the biggest community under SCs by population, is displeased with the Congress since the grand old party didnt nominate a single leader from the community for the Lok Sabha elections. In the three SC-reserved segments Nagarkurnool, Peddapalli and Warangal the Congress gave the ticket to Mallu Ravi, Gaddam Vamsi Krishna and Kadiyam Kavya. While Ravi (Dasari sub-caste) and Vamsi Krishna are from the Mala community, Kavya is Baindla, a sub-caste of Madiga. Meanwhile, the National Backward Classes Welfare Association (NBCWA) has extended its support to the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections. After assuming power in the state, the Congress adopted a resolution in the Assembly to conduct a caste census. This has been a long pending demand of the BC community. Soon after the move, NBCWA president and Rajya Sabha member R Krishnaiah announced his support to the Congress. NBCWA youth wing president Guvvala Bharat Kumar is touring the state as part of the BC Jodo Yatra in a bid to create awareness among the BC communities. Speaking to TNIE, Bharat said: I am touring across Telangana to create political awareness among the BCs. We are supporting the party which fulfils our demands and works for the welfare of BCs. The Congress government is a step ahead of others in solving the problems faced by the BCs.

Resilient girl, once rescued from forced marriage, secures top spot in Andhra Pradesh's first year Intermediate exam, inspiring hope

A resilient girl from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, once rescued from forced child marriage, achieved top honors in the state's 1st Year Intermediate exam. G Nirmala, a student of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, scored an impressive 421 out of 440 despite facing adversities. Applauded by the Ministry of Education, her determination to pursue education, even amid challenges, is lauded. With aspirations to become an IPS officer, her journey inspires hope and underscores the importance of education in overcoming obstacles.

Rescued From Forced Child Marriage, Girl Secures Top Spot in Andhra Pradesh's 1st Year Intermediate Exam

G. Nirmala, a student from Kurnool's Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), a boarding school for girls run by the Ministry of Education, achieved an impressive score of 421 out of 440 in the exam

Buggana Rajendranath Reddy did nothing for growth of Dhone constituency: Kotla

Former Union minister Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy is the senior most politician in the election fray in the erstwhile undivided Kurnool district. The TDP has fielded former Chief Minister Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddys son from Dhone Assembly constituency against Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy. In an interview with K Madhu Sudhakar , Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy asserted that the people of Dhone are well aware of the fact that the segment will achieve rapid economic development if it is represented by the Kotla family as it contributed a lot to the growth of Kurnool district. What are the major problems of Dhone Assembly constituency? Dhone Assembly constituency consisting of Bethamcherla, Pyapili and Dhone mandals, has been facing severe irrigation and drinking water shortage. The roads in rural areas are in a bad shape. Many eligible people are being deprived of the benefits of welfare schemes due to political reasons. What is your development agenda? I will focus on resolving the irrigation water problem by getting the pending works of Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) and Gorukallu projects completed on a war-footing. Using my experience as a former Railway minister, I will develop Dhone railway junction, besides getting IT companies and industries on Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor to generate large scale employment for local youth. Rural roads will also be developed, besides ensuring that all the eligible people get the benefits of welfare schemes. What are your winning chances? My victory in the Assembly election is certain. No one will trust the YSRC because of the failure of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on all fronts. There has been no development in the State in the last five years. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidus vision and his commitment to the development of the State will ensure the victory of tripartite alliance in the elections. What is your contribution to the development of Dhone as a former Union minister? I approved the Kurnool - Nandyal railway project via Dhone. Now, passenger trains are running on the route. As many as 15 railway underbridges (RUBs) were constructed on this route to avoid traffic disruption and ease congestion. Dhone-Kacheguda, Dhone-Guntur and Dhone-Guntakal railway projects were given priority in the Pink Book during my tenure as the Union minister. These works are now progressing at a brisk pace, and will be completed in another two years. What is your response to Bugganas claim that he has done a lot for the development of Dhone in the last 10 years? It is the responsibility of an elected representative to develop his constituency. One should not boast about it. Their development is only on social media platforms and not visible in reality. When my wife Kotla Sujathamma was an MLA, she strove for the development of Dhone by getting funds for various infrastructure projects. Buggana could not achieve even 10% of what I did in 18 months as a Central minister for the development of Kurnool, despite being the MLA of Dhone for two terms.

MLC B.T. Naidu Calls Stone-pelting Kodi Kathi 2.0

Kurnool: Telugu Desam MLC B.T. Naidu commented that Kodi Kathi 2.0, symbolising the stone-pelting incident targeting Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, is unlikely to garner support, as people have grown wise to the strategies of the YSR Congress. He also raised concerns over why a high-level inquiry or investigation by agencies like the CBI or CID has not been sought by the YSRC. Speaking to media on Sunday, the MLC maintained that the recurrence of melodrama similar to that witnessed in 2019 to gain sympathy will not work this time, as people are aware of the previous incident to solicit sympathy. Naidu criticised the YSRC government for its failure to prevent the incident. He questioned why the perpetrators have not been apprehended yet, despite being under the watch of law enforcement agencies.

Girl, Once Rescued From Forced Child Marriage, Tops In Andhra Pradesh's Intermediate Exam

In a fine example of resilience and determination, a girl from Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool, who was once rescued from forced child marriage, secured the top spot in the 1st Year Intermediate exam of the state.

Girl, Once Rescued From Forced Child Marriage, Tops Intermediate Exam

In a fine example of resilience and determination, a girl from Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool, who was once rescued from forced child marriage, secured the top spot in the 1st Year Intermediate exam of the state.

Buggana Says Provocation by Opposition Triggered Stone Pelting

Kurnool : Finance minister Buggana Rajendranath said constant provocation of people by opposition leaders, particularly TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan, against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has triggered stone-pelting against the CM. Interacting with media in Dhone on Sunday, Buggana, wearing a black scarf in protest, described the injury as a conspiracy of NDA alliance, whose leaders had started inciting people against the ruling YSR Congress party. He called for an end to such dirty politics, while describing comments of Telugu Desam general secretary Nara Lokesh and TDP state president K. Atchannaidu on social media as irresponsible. The minister said those responsible for the attack will have to face its consequences, He went on to appeal for cessation of such violent acts, while calling for political accountability for the incident. Buggana questioned the fulfilment of promises made by the previous government in its manifesto, contrasting the same with the administration led by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who, the minister said, has delivered on his promises.

Girl, once rescued from child marriage, tops Andhra Pradesh's first year Intermediate exam

Girl, once rescued from child marriage, tops Andhra Pradesh's first year Intermediate exam In a fine example of resilience and determination, a girl from Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool, who was once rescued from forced child marriage, secured the top spot in the 1st Year Intermediate exam of the state. G Nirmala, a student from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Kurnool, a residential girls' school run by the Ministry of Education for the disadvantaged sections, scored an impressive 421 out of 440 in the exam. Congratulations to Ms. G. Nirmala from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Kurnool, a residential girls' school run by the Ministry of Education for the disadvantaged sections in India, for securing the top spot in the 1st Year Intermediate exam of Andhra Pradesh Intermediate Board, Union Ministry of Education posted on its official X handle. Despite overcoming challenges like being rescued from child marriage, she scored an impressive 421 out of 440. Her aspiration to become an IPS officer showcases her dedication to social justice. Let's celebrate her courage and wish her the best for her future pursuits!, the post added. According to YSRCP legislator Y Saiprasad Reddy, Nirmala, who was adamant about pursuing her educational goals in life, approached him during the latter's Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam programme last year with a plea to help her in pursuing her goals in life. The Adoni MLA who was moved by the girl's plight, informed about the situation to the district collector G Srujana, who in turn intervened and first rescued Nirmala from an imminent child marriage. The district administration later on got her admitted to Kasturba Gandhi Balikala Vidyalaya at Aspari and then on there was no looking back for Nirmala, who braved against all odds to reach the toppers list in this year's intermediate examinations. (ANI)

BRS faces uphill task in 9 seats it secured comfortably in 2019

HYDERABAD: The BRS, which won nine Lok Sabha segments with a massive majority in the 2019 elections, is facing a daunting task to retain those seats this time. This is being attributed to the pink party losing power in the state after suffering a debacle in the Assembly elections and its MPs and key leaders shifting their loyalties to the Congress and the BJP. These developments have demoralised several leaders and left the candidates in the upcoming electoral fray in doubt about their ability to pull through the difficult situation. BRS candidate Kotha Prabhakar Reddy won the Medak seat with a staggering 3.15 lakh votes majority in the last elections. He polled 5.96 lakh votes, leaving his closest Congress rival far behind with 2.79 lakh votes. The BJP candidate had to contend with 2.1 lakh votes. Prabhakar Reddy contested in the last Assembly elections and got elected as MLA from Dubbaka which falls in the Medak parliament constituency. Similarly in Warangal, Pasunuri Dayakar left his Congress rival far behind by winning the seat with a margin of 3.5 lakh votes. He bagged 6.12 lakh votes as against 2.62 lakh by the Congress candidate and 83,777 by the BJP contestant. But the situation is completely different now as Dayakar joined the Congress. The BRS which has become considerably weaker now is fielding M Sudheer Kumar in the upcoming Lok Sabha election against Kadiyam Kavya of Congress. Kavya left the BRS in dramatic circumstances after she was named the candidate for Warangal seat by party chief K Chandraekhar Rao and joined the ruling Congress along with her father and MLA Kadiyam Srihari. Congress finds itself in much better position In Nagarkurnool, P Ramulu who won the seat with 1.89 lakh votes majority switched his loyalty to the BJP. He secured 4.99 lakh votes while his Congress rival secured second position with 3.09 lakh votes. The BJP candidate polled 1.29 lakh votes in the 2019 elections. While the BJP is fielding Ramulus son Bharat in the constituency, the BRS chief has picked former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar for the seat. Praveen Kumar left the BSP and joined the BRS recently. For the BRS, retaining the seat may not be as easy as it was in 2019 because the Congress finds itself in much better position. The BJP too stands equal chance as its candidate Bharat is the son of the sitting MP. In Peddapalli, BRS candidate Borlakunta Venkatesh Netha won with a 95,000-vote margin and secured a total of 4.41 lakh votes while his Congress rival and BJP candidates got 3.4 lakh and 92,000 votes respectively in the 2019 elections. In a major setback to the BRS, Venkatesh joined the Congress recently. The pink party is fielding former minister Koppula Eswar in the constituency. But the question is, will the BRS repeat its 2019 show in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections? In Mahabubnagar, sitting BRS MP Manne Srinivas Reddy won with a margin of 77,829 votes. He secured 4.11 lakh votes as against 3.33 lakh by the BJP candidate and 1.93 lakh by the Congress contestant. It may not be a cakewalk for Srinivas Reddy who is testing his luck again in the upcoming elections as the BRS failed to win a single Assembly seat falling in the Lok Sabha constituency. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy whose Kodangal Assembly seat falls in the parliament constituency is determined to ensure the victory of the Congress. The situation is no different in Mahabubabad where sitting MP Maloth Kavitha who won with a majority of 1.46 lakh votes, is trying her luck again. Though she secured a total of 4.62 lakh votes as against 3.15 lakh votes by her Congress rival, Kavitha is up against a huge challenge as the BRS did not win a single Assembly seat falling in her Lok Sabha segment. Nama Nageswar Rao who was elected for second term in 2019 secured 5.67 lakhs votes and won with a margin of 1.68 lakh votes against the Congress. The grand old party candidate got 3.99 lakh votes and BJP only 20,488 votes. But the sitting BRS MP faces huge challenge as the pink party won only one Assembly seat in the recent elections. In another blow to the party, the lone BRS MLA joined the Congress recently. With the BRS finding itself on a sticky wicket, the party leaders are waiting with bated breath to know as to how party supremo and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is going to turn around the fortunes of the pink party in the crucial LS polls.

Kurnool: Brain dead woman gives new lease of life to four

KURNOOL: A 38-year-old woman who succumbed to severe seizures was declared brain dead and her family members generously donated her organs giving a fresh lease of life to four persons in Kurnool city. The incident took place in KIMS Hospital on Saturday. According to sources, Donthu Krishnaveni, a resident of Proddatur in Kadapa district, was rushed to the local hospital on Thursday following seizures. Subsequently, the epilepsy patient was transferred to KIMS Hospital in Kurnool for advanced treatment. Despite two days of intensive medical efforts, the doctors declared the patient brain dead on Saturday morning. Following her brain death, organ donation coordinators sensitised Krishnavenis family and relatives about the possibility of organ donation. With the consent of her husband and other family members, the patients liver, kidneys, and heart were donated. Krishnavenis family expressed that they were honoured to offer life to four others. Meanwhile the liver and heart were transported to Tirupati via the Green Channel, established under the guidance of Jeevandaan State Coordinator Rambabu in collaboration with the Kurnool Traffic Police. Additionally, one of the kidneys was shifted to the Kurnool GGH.

IMD Hyderabad forecasts dry weather as rainfall pauses

Hyderabad: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Hyderabad has forecasted that dry weather is very likely to prevail over Telangana today and tomorrow as no rainfall is expected for the next two days. According to data from the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), scattered rainfall was witnessed in Nagarkurnool, Rangareddy, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu, Narayanpet, Jangaon, Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Naidu Wants People To Boycott Anti-Amaravati Capital Parties

Kakinada: Telugu Desam chief and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called upon people to boycott political leaders and parties who do not commit themselves to Amaravati being the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh. Dont allow such people to your villages, unless they accept Amaravati as the lone capital, he told voters of Tadikonda and Prathipadu constituencies during his Prajagalam yatra on Saturday. The TD supremo maintained that the capital will not shift even an inch from Amaravati due to the power of its Muhurat and foundation laying ceremony involving soil from all temples and rivers, masjids and churches. He said capital Amaravati will not belong to one particular caste or community. It belongs to all sections of the society, he declared. Chandrababu Naidu told people that when he had been the chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, he had built Cyberabad. When it had been in its early stages, many people had ridiculed his plans, especially with regard to the Outer Ring Road. But subsequently, people realised that Cyberabad is a great idea. Now, Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Cyberabad have become a Mega City. The former CM said in a similar manner, he had drawn a blueprint with a great vision for the development of Amaravati. But the YSRC government has ruined those plans and made AP a capital-less state. A crank has destroyed my dream of Amaravati with his stupid, borrowed notion of having three capitals for the state. It has resulted in total destruction. Therefore, YSRC should be given a drubbing by people in the coming elections, he stated. The TD chief underlined that the state government is struggling even to pay salaries to employees. He maintained that YSRC will not cross a single digit of seats in the forthcoming elections, as the people have already decided to create a great record in history on May 13 the polling day by defeating YSRC. The former chief minister asked the people to give full mandate to Telugu Desam, Bharatiya Janata Party and Jana Sena in the coming elections. Significantly, Chandrababu Naidu promised that Visakhapatnam will be developed as the economic capital and Kurnool will become horticulture and seed capital. He declared that on June 4, he will step into the Assembly and provide peoples rule.

Buggana Asks What Kotla Did for Dhone as MoS

Kurnool: AP finance minister Buggana Rajendranath accused Dhone Telugu Desam candidate and former union minister Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy of failing to develop Dhone even while being part of the central government. In particular, Rajendranath highlighted Kotlas unfulfilled promise of establishing a railway coach factory in Dhone. After being absent from the political scene for nearly 15 years, Kotla has returned to Dhone solely to protect his political interests, the finance minister remarked. Speaking to reporters in Dhone on Saturday, Rajendranath challenged Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy to see the transformation in Dhone over the past five years before engaging in any discussion. He speculated whether the former union ministers newfound affection for Dhone stems from his inability to secure a seat elsewhere in the state. Jayasurya Prakash seems to have no fixed address, shifts his focus from one place to another based on political convenience. Where does his true allegiance lie? Is it Dhone, Adoni, Alur, Kodumur, or Kurnool? Hasnt he come to Dhone as he couldnt secure a seat elsewhere, the minister asked. He challenged the union minister for an open debate on development initiatives undertaken in Dhone assembly constituency during the tenures of both the TDP and the YSRCP. With little to showcase, Kotla is resorting to spreading false propaganda against me, Rajendranath remarked. On the day, representatives of Traitha Siddhantha Bhagavad Gita members met the finance minister at the latters camp office in Dhone town.

Braindead Woman's Organs Offer New Life to Four

Kurnool: A tragedy in Kurnool has transformed into an act of extraordinary compassion. Donthu Krishnaveni, a 38-year-old housewife from Proddutur in Kadapa district, fell victim to a severe episode and was admitted to the local hospital on Thursday. Due to the seriousness of her condition, she was transferred to Kims Hospital in Kurnool for advanced care. Doctors at Kims diagnosed a blood clot in Krishnaveni's brain. Despite valiant efforts by the medical team for two days, she was declared brain dead on Saturday morning. In the face of this immense loss, Krishnaveni's family displayed remarkable strength and generosity. Approached by organ donation coordinators, they made the noble decision to donate her vital organs, potentially saving the lives of four individuals. Krishnaveni's husband and family expressed immense pride in their choice. We are honored to be able to offer the gift of life to others even in this difficult time, they shared. Following the family's selfless act, Krishnaveni's liver and heart were transported through the Green Channel, a special initiative established by Jeevandaan and Kurnool Traffic Police. These organs were swiftly delivered to Tirupati for transplant procedures. Additionally, one of her kidneys was sent to the Kurnool Government Hospital for further medical processes.

NETA NATTER | REVANTH MOST WANTED GUEST AT CONGRESS RALLIES

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, after leading the Congress to a victory in Telangana state in the Assembly elections, has emerged as one of the most sought-after leader for campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. He has been receiving requests from several Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs to address public meetings in their states, with most demand coming from neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Revanth also received invitations from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, in addition to Gujarat and Bihar. The expectation of Congress leaders in those states is that Revanth can influence Telugu-speaking native voters in those states. But leading the party in Telangana for the LS polls as TPCC chief, and his Chief Ministerial responsibilities, are keeping Revanth fully occupied. That said, he did agree to campaign in Maharashtra and he might well make a few quick visits to other states in the weeks to come. But then, once the elections in Telangana are completed on May 13, it is expected that Revanth Reddy will have to time to campaign in other states. FEROZ VS OWAISI BATTLE CONTINUES Political partners? Friends? Frenemies? The lines are getting blurred as the LS poll campaign begins to pick up heat and the latest to leave an opening for the BJP to attack was the announcement that the Congress and the AIMIM were getting closer. Coming from Feroz Khan, Congress candidate from the Nampally Assembly constituency, the comment picked up speed quickly. Word doing the rounds soon after was how could he agree to something like that after having fought a bitter war with the AIMIM on the issue of bogus votes, which he had said the AIMIM relies on to win elections. So, who will raise the bogus votes question from within the Congress now is the question being asked. FORMER LEADER OF BRS FACES TROUBLE IN BJP The past can catch up pretty fast and before you know it, it can deliver a few quick knocks. Such seems to be the case with the BJPs Nalgonda LS poll candidate Shanampudi Saidireddy. The leader, who recently quit the BRS and joined the BJP, is facing some strong headwinds from within his new party with district BJP leaders pointing out how Saidireddy hounded them with police cases and so on when he was the BRS MLA from Huzurnagar. Also, there is a history of tensions between Saidireddys followers and those of BJP leaders Bandi Sanjay Kumar and D. Raja Singh and these too are now becoming reasons why BJP cadres are not happy with their partys candidate choice from Nalgonda. VOLUNTEERS AWAIT CLARITY ON NAIDUS REMARKS There is much to read between the lines when politicians make promises. Take for instance the one from TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, seeking to return to power in Andhra Pradesh. During the ongoing campaign for the state Assembly polls, Naidu first called the volunteer system that the YSRC government had put in place to deliver government welfare to people as nothing more than a network of sleeper cells, drug traffickers, and so on. But, apparently realising that he may have bitten off more than he could chew, Naidu, during the Ugadi celebrations, made a U-turn, and declared that if elected, the TD would retain the volunteer system in AP, and even throw in Rs 10,000 to each for their work. What he left unsaid is what is now being talked about. Will a TD government retain the current volunteers picked by the YSRC or pick its own after coming to power? The answer to this can come only with time. MAYOR TO BE OR NOT TO BE? A bird in hand such appears to be the dilemma facing the Kurnool city Mayor and YSRC leader B.Y. Ramaiah who was nominated by his party to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kurnool. After his selection following former minister and Alur legislator P. Jayaram declining to contest from the seat, Ramaiah has hit the streets campaigning actively but if social media buzz is anything to go by, he is doing so with some reluctance. The reason is he will need to quit his Mayor post, something he is not quite ready to do. Meanwhile, the party has picked his replacement for the Mayors post and Ramaiahs silence on whether he will resign as Mayor is the buzz in the town. NAIDU QUESTIONS JAGANS CAMPAIGN FUNDING Its not easy to run an election campaign with meagre funds. And wondering how YSRC leader and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is managing to hold his huge Memantha Siddham rallies with all the expenses involved is none other than TD president N. Chandrababu Naidu. The TD leader also questioned in public where the YSRC was getting the money from for such huge events. To raise some cash for the TD, Naidu recently launched a website seeking donations and kicked off the collection by contributing `99,999, and called on people to pitch in. Whether the appeal will work only time can tell. Contributions from Laxmi Pranati, G. Sampat Samritan, G. Ram Mohan, L. Venkat Ram Reddy, P.V. Prasad, Pratyush Nallella.