Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Jr NTR Intentionally Paining Chandrababu
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Balaiah firming up grip over TDP?
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Lokesh Pulled Bhoomika into TDP?
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Poll surveys, the hot new summer jobs
Want to know which constituency has the most number of grievances? What are the pressing issues people in the state are grappling with? The students of Osmania University seem to have answers to all these and more, and they are willing to share it if you promise them a cool packet.
With elections round the corner, independent candidates, political parties and agencies that conduct pre-poll surveys are all eager to know the pulse of the people. And cashing on this need for news, are young political science graduates who want to make a quick buck or two this summer.
about 1,000 students from the social and political science streams are touring various constituencies in the state, going door to door conducting pre-poll surveys for all top political parties. A. Laxman, an arts student, says, “My first assignment was in a constituency called Yellareddy in the Nizamabad district. I was hired by the Centre for documentation, research and communication (CDRC) who were conducting surveys on the problems of the people from this part of the state, which is largely untouched by development.”
The process is fairly simple and the money is good, a reason why these surveys attract students in hordes.
“They give us a questionnaire to find out who people plan to vote for and why, what they think of their previous MLA or MP, the parameters on the basis of which they would vote et al. One can make Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 over a weekend,” Laxman adds.
Private players are not all. The state government’s information and Public relations department has also been hiring students to get them information from the grass root level.
B. Ashok, a student of journalism says, “I was roped in to survey the Secunderabad and Malkajgiri constituencies, which almost all candidates have been eyeing. We conduct a survey every 15 days in the same constituency as the situation keeps changing. And this will go on till the elections are over.”
Meanwhile, a few enterprising students are approaching political leaders and NRIs directly with the promise that they will undertake surveys on their behalf. They charge Rs 10 lakh to survey a Lok sabha constituency and Rs 3.5 lakh for an assembly constituency. “When you know what people want, convincing them to vote for you becomes easier. We take approximately one week to survey an assembly segment. There are many independent candidates who wish to get into politics but they are not aware of the problems of a particular constituency. Such people hire us to conduct surveys among 1,000 voters.”
Top 5 problems in the state
* Frequent, unannounced power cuts
* Sanitation problem
* Lack of drinking water
* Traffic congestion and bad roads in all the metroes.
* Poor infrastructure of government schools across the state.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/cover/poll-surveys%2C-hot-new-summer-jobs-529
Poll gives AP to Congress
March 8: The ruling Congress will return to power with 155-169 Assembly seats, according to a survey released on Sunday. This places the party comfortably above the half-way mark of 148 seats in the Assembly. The Telugu Desam-led Mahakutami will get between 92-110 seats.
The Praja Rajyam of Chiranjeevi would get 30-35 seats and others would mop up 7-9 seats, according to the survey conducted by the news channel NTV in association with Nielsen ORC Marg Ltd.
The survey, conducted in February, covered 88,146 respondents at about 300 voters from each constituency. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress will get 23-27 seats out of 42 in the state, according to the survey. The Mahakutami will 14-16 seats and the Praja Rajyam, 1-2 seats.
Regionwise, according to the survey, the Congress will win between 37 and 45 seats out of the total 119 in Telangana and 77-88 seats in coastal Andhra which has 124 seats. Out of the 51 seats in Rayalaseema, the Congress will get 35-41, the survey predicted.
The Mahakutami will bag 52-70 seats in Telangana because of its pro-statehood stance, 20-24 seats in Andhra and 13-15 seats in Rayalaseema, the survey reported.
The Praja Rajyam suffered a vote erosion from the earlier poll by the same agencies. It will get 4-6 seats in Telangana and 2-3 seats in Rayalaseema. Its best showing will be in coastal Andhra at 21-28 seats, the survey said.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/neutral/poll-gives-ap-congress-078
KCR insists on 9 LS seats
The TRS chief, Mr K. Chandrasekar Rao, is upset that the TD president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, has not agreed to give 10 Lok Sabha seats to the Telangana party.
Mr Naidu told Mr Rao that he could have seven Lok Sabha seats as the TD had to accommodate both the CPI and the CPI(M).
Mr Rao was so cut up with Mr Naidu that he skipped an Opposition protest in the city on Saturday.
Mr Rao told the TD leadership that he would not settle for anything less than nine Lok Sabha seats.
On Sunday, he did not take phone calls from the Telugu Desam leadership.
“Let Mr Chandrababu Naidu come out with a final figure,” Mr Rao is said to have told aides.
“He was upset with the formula proposed by the TD. After all the TD is getting the maximum advantage from the alliance,” said a TRS leader. “It can accommodate the CPI and the CPI(M) in other regions from where the TRS cannot contest.”
The TRS is trying to finalise seats deal before the alliance is announced on January 21.
The TRS is opposing the TD’s plans to allot it difficult seats. The TD for instance is trying to give the TRS the Hyderabad LS seat which is a bastion of the MIM.
The process of sharing Assembly seats is going on relatively smoothly. The TRS wants 50 seats and the TD offer is 40. TD sources said the deal would be struck at around 42-45 seats.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/kcr-insists-9-ls-seats-830
Friday, March 13, 2009
Has Chiru's camp been infiltrated?
spitting fire on Wednesday. He levelled serious charges against the TDP, saying that the party has “planted” some persons as coverts to destroy him and damage his party’s reputation.
Chiranjeevi told newspersons that some Telugu Desam Party (TDP) men joined PRP and were trying to damage him by making unnecessary charges. Countering the charge that PRP charges Rs 2 crore from each aspirant to contest the elections, he said: “It’s rubbish. Some coverts planted by the TDP in PRP are making such allegations. Now, such elements are out of the PRP.”
This is the first time that Chiranjeevi was mentioning publicly about his party being infiltrated, but sources say that he has been discussing these matters with close aides. “Soon after Chiranjeevi launched his party, he realised that his office was being bugged, his phones tapped and movements of his aides being monitored,” highly placed sources told TOI. Sources also said that he made a close circle of his family members when he realised that important political decisions were getting leaked out within minutes of it being made. “He did not know what to do and for starters went into a cocoon,” a source said. It is understood that other than officials of the state intelligence bureau, Chiranjeevi was also looking at the Congress with suspicion in this matter.
Political analysts tended to agree with the gist of Chiranjeevi’s belief. “I would reckon that his suspicions are not out of place. It does seem that there is infiltration into his party,” said a senior leader from another political party.
On Wednesday, without mentioning the names of Kesineni Nani of Vijayawada and Vasamsetti Satya of East Godavari who joined the TDP, Chiranjeevi said some leaders were TDP “stooges” who tried to vitiate the atmosphere in PRP.
Chiranjeevi denied that tickets are being allotted only to affluent persons and termed it as bad propaganda against him and his party. “Our list will have a fresh look with lots of new faces. We will field maximum number of backward caste candidates,” Chiranjeevi said. He said the PRP would release the first list in four to five days.
But Chiranjeevi was evasive about his stand on allocation of more seats for women, reducing or increasing the seats to Kapu leaders and controlling his fans at public meetings. Chiranjeevi asserted he would contest the April 23 election from Tirupati. “Tirupati is fixed. But I have not decided on contesting from Narsapuram in West Godavari,” he said. He said he would certainly enter the fray from another constituency.
In the event of PRP coming to power, Chiranjeevi assured that liquor prohibition would be introduced in a phased manner and belt shops would be closed immediately. On Congress government’s Jalayagnam, he said PRP would not take up all the projects at one time.
Chiranjeevi reiterated that there is no question of his party supporting the BJP at the national level. The PRP chief expressed the hope that his party would get a common symbol.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Hyderabad/Has-Chirus-camp-been-infiltrated/articleshow/4253883.cms
Chiranjeevi confirms his contest from Tirupathi
Chiranjeevi confirms his contest from Tirupathi
Chiranjeevi may also contest from his native Narsapuram in West Godavari district if he decides to contest from a second constituency.
Chiranjeevi said the PRP would release the list of its candidates in four to five days but certainly before the notification for elections.
According to Chiranjeevi, the PRP list will have a fresh look with many new faces with maximum possible number of women and at least 100 candidates belonging to Backward
http://searchandhra.com/featured-news/featured-1/chiranjeevi-confirms-his-contest-from-tirupathi
Cine worker Humayun is PRP nominee for Jubilee Hills
Cine worker Humayun is PRP nominee for Jubilee Hills
Chiranjeevi has announced that cine worker Humayun is the official Praja Rajyam Party candidate to contest from Jubilee Hills constituency for the ensuing state assembly elections.
Chiranjeevi said Humayun has been given the ticket on of PRP’s social justice plank.
Earlier, the PRP chief announced the candidature of Tupakula Munemma of Yanadi tribe to contest from her native constituency in Nellore district.
PRP sources say they hold the cine stars and cine workers in equal esteem.
NTR Jr kicks off TDP election campaign
NTR Jr kicks off TDP election campaign
Tollywood actor and charismatic youngster NTR Jr, who has an uncanny resemblance to his grand father the late Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, commenced his campaign in support of Telegu Desam Party (TDP) from Srikakulam district.
NTR Jr has drawn huge crowds and enthralled them with his fluent speech. The gestures, modulation and expressions of NTR Jr were almost similar to the legendary NTR.
NTR Jr will be on the campaign trail for almost five weeks that is until the curtains are down for election propaganda.
TDP demands Minister's ouster
HYDERABAD, AUG.25. The Telugu Desam on Wednesday asked the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, to dismiss the Civil Supplies Minister, G. Vijayarama Rao, and initiate "civil and criminal proceedings" against him as per the provisions of the Land Grabbing Act.
`Court verdict stands'
Addressing a press conference, the former ministers and TDP leaders -- K. Srihari and P. Chandrasekhar -- maintained that the High Court judgment of 2003, confirming the verdict given earlier by the Special Court, Land Grabbing (Prohibition), in which he was declared a "land grabber" was still applicable even though the Minister stated that he withdrew from the case. The fact that he had not appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court judgment was tantamount to his concurrence with it.
`Act violated'
Maintaining that it was a fit case for "taking action," they said the Chief Minister should dismiss him if he had any respect for democratic values.
They said that Mr. Rao was also "punishable" under the Representation of People's Act for failing to furnish the details of the case in the affidavit filed before the returning officer at the time of filing his nomination papers.
The TDP leaders said the Governor, Surjit Singh Barnala, should take action in case the Chief Minister failed to dismiss him.
Asked if they planned to approach the Election Commission, they said, "We will examine legally to what extent it attracts disqualification."
Election Commission to review poll preparedness in Andhra Pradesh today
During their two-day visit, the team will review preparedness in the state for the coming Lok Sabha polls.
During their two-day visit, the team will review preparedness in the state for the coming Lok Sabha polls.The Commission will hold a video conference with district collectors, SPs and other higher officials district wise to take stock of arrangements for the upcoming elections.
Andhra Pradesh is to have a two-phased election on April 16 and 23.
LS polls: CEC holds meetings with political parties in AP
The Opposition parties including CPI, CPI (M) and BJP demanded the removal of DGP SSP Yadav, who has been accused of favouring the ruling Congress.
"The DGP has been praising the Chief Minister and the Congress government. Similarly, Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy is also helping the Congress. Free and fair polls would not be possible if the two officials are at the helm. We demanded that they both be removed from their present position," CPI Secretary K Narayana said.
CPI (M) leader Y Venkateshwar Rao, too demanded that the Chief Secretary and DGP be removed.
Accusing the DGP of blatant violation of poll code, the BJP also said that he be removed from his position to instill confidence of the people in the executive.
Politicial parties used minorities as vote bank: Chiru
"This shows our commitment for social justice. Humayun is a humble man who worked as a technician in the film industry," Chiranjeevi pointed out.
The Telugu superstar had already announced candidature of a tribal woman, Munemma, of Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district.
These were the only seats the PRP officially announced so far.
The PRP chief also reiterated that there was no question of his party aligning with the communal BJP. "We are totally secular. We shall remain unattached if required, but will never join hands with the BJP," he asserted.
Promising a Rs 1,000 crore fund for the welfare of Muslims, Chiranjeevi said free education would be provided to all children of the community while the proposed Rs 1.50 lakh incentive for girls would also be extended to Muslims if the PRP was elected to power.
Besides, pregnant Muslim women would also be given Rs 1,000 monthly for six months. Chiranjeevi said the PRP would fight in Parliament for providing four per cent reservation for Muslims in education and employment. Chiranjeevi recalled his student days when his family resided in a Muslim locality in Ongole town and how he used to wake up to the 'Azaan' (call for prayer) from an adjacent mosque. "I also learned some Urdu alphabets during those days," he said and tried to recite a few words. In what he called a pleasant surprise, Chiranjeevi met his childhood friend Karimullah after over 40 years and introduced him to the audience. PRP General Secretary Allu Aravind and local party leaders also were present at the meeting.
NTR Jr sets out on 23-day election campaign in Andhra
Clad in a khaki costume reminiscent of his late grandfather and TDP founder-president N T Rama Rao, the scion of Nandamuri family, reached Itchapuram by helicopter from Visakhapatnam to embark on his election campaign.
"I have not come to seek your votes. But, give a thought to the future of our state and also your own lives a day before the election and cast your vote judiciously," the angry young man of Telugu celluloid said.
The 25-year-old son of Rajya Sabha member Nandamuri Harikrishna recalled how NTR visited every nook and corner of Andhra Pradesh upon launching the TDP in 1982 and traveled 35,000 kilometers to bring about an awareness and enlightenment among people.
"Now every politician in the state is forced to follow in the foot steps of NTR. Such was the impact he left on the state political scene. Not only that, the slew of welfare measures he introduced were unprecedented," NTR Jr said. "But the current Congress regime had looted public money through unprecedented corruption. Corruption and only corruption. There is nothing else to write about this government. It claims to be a farmers government but 6,000 farmers committed suicide in the last five years," he said.
"Vote for the TDP and restore a corruption-free rule in the state," he appealed to the people and wound up his speech with the slogans Jai NTR, Jai Telugu Desam, Jai Telugu Nadu in his grandfather's style.
Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader K Yerran Naidu, MLA Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao, MLC Revanth Reddy and other leaders accompanied NTR Jr.
http://www.andhrajyothy.com/english/ShowNews.asp?contentid=15534
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Poll code hits AP schemes
“On average 2,200 patients visit the screening camps every day, of whom 20 per cent are recommended for surgery and 15 per cent for in-patient treatment,” a senior official of the Arogyasri Trust said. “The code will deprive these patients of health care.”
Poll officials also created a fuss over a vital meeting to sort out problems facing the 108 ambulance service. Sources said the government had decided to hold an emergency review meeting on the service over the refusal of some suppliers to provide stocks till their dues were cleared.
When health officials asked the chief electoral officer for permission to hold the meet, the latter is believed to have asked them to defer it. Officials said any problem in running the service would affect thousands of people in danger. “While imposing the code, the Election Commission makes it clear that regular governance shall not be affected. But several decisions are defeating this spirit,” a veteran minister said.
For instance, election officials directed the housing department to not release funds for construction of about 27 lakh houses. The department had already identified the beneficiaries under the Indiramma scheme and approved release of the money. “Most of the beneficiaries are agricultural labour who prefer to start construction in April and May, which is the off-season for them, the minister said.
Sources said the government had a tough time in resolving the doctors strike in the Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences. While doctors insisted that talks should be held at the ministerial level, officials and ministers refused to get involved fearing action under the poll code.The civil supplies department also suspended conversion of 13 lakh pink ration cards into white cards though the decision to convert them was taken before March 2.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/neutral/code-hits-healthcare-648
New electoral roll system to be used in 2009 polls
Addressing a meeting at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad on Monday, the CEC said preparation of fool-proof electoral rolls was essential to bust bogus voting in elections.
Photo electoral rolls would be used in the 2009 general elections across the country, barring the north-eastern states.
Though the process of issuing electoral photo identity cards started in 1995, “we never achieved 100 per cent success for a variety of reasons,” he said.
Pointing to the “increasing complexities” in the entire electoral process, the CEC said multi-level checking of electoral rolls was being undertaken to compare the 18-plus population as per census data with the number of registered voters.
Also, an analysis of male-female voters was also being done to ensure nothing was amiss, Gopalaswami said referring to the scene in Uttar Pradesh where the ratio of male-females voters was 1000:700 as against the normal male-female ratio of 1000:898.
“We now have the electoral roll observers in place who thoroughly verify the electoral rolls and check discrepancies. This has been yielding good results in rural areas but there have been problems in urban centres,” the Chief Election Commissioner observed.
He said a list of missing voters was also being prepared in each polling station to ensure the eligible persons did not lose their voting right.
Gopalaswami said from 17.32 crore in 1951, the number of voters in the country shot up to 67.14 crore in 2004 and 69.60 crore in 2008.
“The next general election will see the use of electronic voting machines across the country for the first time,” he added.
The CEC also said postal voting for all personnel deployed for election duties was being considered.
“This has been experimented in Tripura in the last elections. But it is not a fool-proof system at this point of time,” he pointed out.
The Election Commission was planning to initiate a new experiment of electronically transmitting the postal ballots and enable voting as the present system of printing and posting the ballots at a single point was causing lot of delays.
“We are also looking into the system of proxy voting,” Gopalaswami said adding that efforts were on to improve electoral registration of army and central para-military service personnel.
There were 959 registered political parties in the country with an average of three parties getting registered every week.
“Of the total, only seven are national parties and 49 state (regional) parties,” he said. The EC did not have power to de-register a party for whatever reason, the CEC pointed out.
http://newsheadlines.telugupedia.com/2008/10/21/chief-election-commissioner-new-electoral-roll-system-to-be-used-in-2009-polls/#more-830
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
IT techies pledge support to Chiranjeevi
A large group of over 10, 000 IT engineers and technologists have formed an organization called the Dynamites of IT (DoIT) in August 2008 pledging support to Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party and its ideals of Change and Social Justice.
Chiranjeevi on Sunday said youth and women were important partners in his party’s efforts to ride to power while addressing an impressive gathering of techies of DoIT which is committed to fulfil their corporate social responsibility.
Chiranjeevi said he was inspired by former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and his party would harness youth power to take on opponents, who were supporting rowdyism and stopping at nothing to achieve their nefarious ends.
AP By Elections latest Reports
TRS lost its charishma in By Elections 2008.
TRS Won 7 assembly places and Karimanagar and Hanmakonda Loksabha seats.
KCR won Karimnagar Loksabha with 13000 votes majority.
Congress won Adilabad Loksabha and 6 Assembly places.
TDP won Warangal Loksabha and 5 Assembly places.
TRS lost AP By elections drastically, they only got 7 assembly seats compared to 16 assembly elections in 2004 elections.
Celebrations in Congress Camp for their performance in By Elections. Party people are praising YSR for the confidence he has given and the commitment he has shown in strengthening Congress party in AP By elections.
http://searchandhra.com/politics/trs-lost-ap-by-elections
PRP to contest in Orissa, Tamilnadu and Karnataka
Chiranjeevi, president Praja Rajyam Party announced that party candidates will contest for Lok Sabha in Orissa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the areas where sizeable population of Telugu-speaking people reside.
Expressing confidence that the party would be voted to power in the coming elections, he decried the attitude of the TDP and the Congress towards formation of separate Telangana and promised to pass a resolution in the Assembly as soon he came to power.
Chiranjeevi termed the statement of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on separate Telangana in the Assembly on the last day of the session a deliberate attempt to divert the attention of the people and the opposition parties from the corruption charges on Saakshi paper owned by CM’s son Jagan.
http://searchandhra.com/politics/prp-to-contest-in-orissa-tamilnadu-and-karnataka
Andhra Pradesh seeks 1/3rd quota for BCs
Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy Introduced the resolution in the House. The original resolution, drafted by the government, confined the reservation aspect to the state assembly.
However, following a suggestion by the Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister amended the resolution to extend the scope to Lok Sabha. He also accepted Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s proposal to bring Muslims, categorised as BCs by the government, under the purview of reservations.
http://searchandhra.com/featured-news/featured-2/andhra-pradesh-seeks-13rd-quota-for-bcs
Focus shifts on Criminal background
http://www.ap2009.in/index.php?task=electionnews&newsDate=2009-03-10&newsId=38
AP Announces Enhanced Election Services for '04 Coverage
http://www.apbroadcast.com/AP+Broadcast/About+Us/Press+Releases/General/AP+Announces+Enhanced+Election+Services+for+%2204+Coverage.htm
5-phase Lok Sabha polls to be held April 16-May 13
The five phased polls will be held in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh while Bihar will have four-phased elections, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami told a press conference in New Delhi.
Maharashtra and West Bengal will witness three phased polls while Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Punjab will have elections in two phases.
Remaining 15 states and seven union territories will have one-day polling.
The counting of votes will take place on May 16 and the 15th Lok Sabha will be constituted by June 2.
In the first phase, 124 constituencies will go to polls on April 16. 141 constituencies will witness balloting in the second phase on April 23, 107 seats in third phase on April 30, 85 seats in fourth phase on May 7 and 86 constituencies in the last phase on May 13. Elections to Assemblies in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.
Photo electoral rolls will be used for the first time in 522 out of the 543 constituencies, Gopalaswami said.
499 constituencies have been redrawn in the delimitation exercise.
Delimitation could not be undertaken in Andhra, Assam, Jharkhand, Manipur and Nagaland, Gopalaswami said.
At least 71.4 crore will be the number of eligible voters, an increase of 4.3 crore over the 2004 figure of 67.1 crore.
The Election Commission Monday expressed serious concern over the rising use of "money power" in the election process.
While announcing the dates for the elections to the 15th Lok Sabha, Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami said: "We have taken serious note of illegal use of money power, and the polling officers have been told to strictly monitor the expenditure."
He appealed to the candidates not to exceed their expense limits.
When India elects a new parliament in April-May, one polling station in Gujarat will have just one voter and will be located in Junagadh district in Gir forests, home to the Asiatic lion.
There will also be one polling station for two voters in Chhattisgarh, and three stations in Arunachal Pradesh will have three electors each.
The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also welcomed the finalisation of dates and expressed their faith in the Election Commission in holding a free and fair exercise.
"We have confidence that on May 16 when the counting would be done, the country would get a new government under the leadership of L.K. Advani," said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, confident that the people would vote for change after five years of the United Progressive Alliance government.
Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan she said: "We welcome it and I am glad that they have done it unitedly. I am sure that elections would be concluded in free and fair manner."
The three-member poll panel has been embroiled in a controversy with reports of a tussle between Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami and Election Commissioner Navin Chawla.
Election officials also studied local holidays, religious festivals and annual school examination before deciding the polling dates.
This would be the first general election after the delimitation of the Lok Sabha constituencies.
He said electoral rolls had been updated throughout the country and photo electoral rolls would be used in 522 of the 543 constituencies where polling would take place. In a house of 545, the president appoints two members of the Anglo-Indian community.
Gopalaswami was flanked at the press conference by Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and S.Y. Quraishi.
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1942843
Code keepers of state sop operas
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, TN, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. These states together elect 372 out of the total 543 MPs.
When CEC N Gopalaswami was reading out the poll schedule around 3.30pm last Monday, the CMs in most of these states were busy with their most important task of the day — announcing big schemes so as not to default on the model code of conduct. In the run-up to the EC announcement, every perceivable section of voters got 'poll free' goodies — free TV sets, cheapest possible rice (TN), monthly cash help to BPL families (Andhra), massive waiver on rural power arrears (UP, Bihar, MP and other states) and other monetary schemes for the rural and urban poor.
Only last year, Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in Rajasthan had tabled a bill for quota to economically weaker section among the upper castes. The much-hyped bill is still pending with the state governor, who has sought president's opinion on it. Her successor, Ashok Gehlot raced against time last Monday to beat the EC's code of conduct deadline by announcing a string of sops.
The biggest sop story, however, came from West Bengal. The Buddhadeb government announced a Rs 5,106-crore fiscal stimulus package. The concessions included Rs-2-a-kg rice for BPL families. Terming it an extra-budgetary allocation, finance minister Asim Dasgupta saw an immediate burden of Rs 1,000 crore on the exchequer.
"In times of meltdown, we had to expand the domestic market by helping the common man increase his income," the minister said. In Andhra, where both LS and assembly polls are due, CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy put it all in place in mid-February. His list includes a loan waiver up to Rs 1 lakh — for SC-ST-BC and minorities — taken from their respective federations, adding about nine communities into the list of BCs and rescheduling loans to weaker section housing societies for a seven-year period.
And how could Bihar lag behind? On February 27, around 10 Union ministers trooped into the state to launch various schemes. The show stealer was RJD's Lalu Prasad's unveiling of hundreds of granite plaques for 36,500 km of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana — worth Rs 16,300 crore. During the last one month, CM Nitish Kumar has launched various schemes worth over Rs 10,000 crore in 20 districts.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Code-keepers-of-state-sop-operas/articleshow/4248083.cms
‘Election watch will work’
‘VISAKHAPATNAM: ‘Election watch’ by various organisations might not solve all problems, but the fear of being watched would go a long way in setting many things right. It would have a chastening effect on all concerned. This watch should be extended to ‘elected people’, said former secretary to the Government of India, EAS Sarma. Mr. Sarma, who was the chief guest at a regional conference on ‘Election Watch’ (the Role of Consumer Organisations in Election Watch) organised by the Hyderabad-based Consumer Awareness and Research Society, at the Civic Library here on Sunday stressed the importance of work at the field level . Electoral rolls form the base for a democratic society and consumer societies and other NGOs could do a lot of work in setting right irregularities in the electoral rolls.
General secretary of the CARS, Mandadi Krishan Reddy presided over the meeting. Ensuring enrolment of missing voters, deletion of bogus voters, finding out the assets of candidates by obtaining their affidavits by making use of the RTI Act were some of the steps that the ‘election watch’ could take.
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/02/stories/2009030255361000.htm
Election Commission cracks the whip in Andhra Pradesh
HYDERABAD: Cracking the whip once again, the Election Commission (EC) on Monday ordered action in three different cases of model code violations involving Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, State Rural Development Minister G. Chinna Reddy, a Congress MLA S. Swarna Sudhakar and two officials.
Besides, the EC reopened the old case against IAS officer Praveen Prakash, for his action in shifting returning officer of the Visakhapatnam II Assembly constituency during 2006 byelections.
The EC asked the Adilabad district Collector to submit a report for action, on the announcement purportedly made by the Chief Minister at an election meeting on Sunday in Khanapur Assembly constituency that his government would issue another 15 lakh pensions to the poor.
An inquiry had also been ordered to ascertain if the Chief Minister addressed an election meeting in Nizamabad beyond the stipulated time-limit of 10 pm recently.
After going through video footage, the EC ordered the transfer of the returning officer of Dichpalli Assembly constituency along with the local Deputy Superintendent of Police for allowing more than five persons and more than three vehicles in the case of all candidates at the time of filing nominations. Chief Electoral Officer I. V. Subba Rao told reporters that disciplinary action would also be launched against these officials. These posts would be filled with substitutes selected from panels of three names suggested by the government. Mr. Chinna Reddy and Ms. Swarna Sudhakar were served notices for holding an election meeting in a Government school at Karukonda in Jadcherla constituency in Mahaboobnagar district and at an Anjaneya temple on May 16. In this case, even the Collector and its SP have been asked to explain.
Mr. Rao said a complaint was lodged against Ministers K. Jana Reddy (Home) and Ponnala Lakshmaiah (Major Irrigation) alleging that they had also held an election meeting in a Government school in Warangal district. But the Central observer and the Collector had clarified that it was held on a private land adjacent to the school.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/20/stories/2008052052720800.htm