#discussion on tdp situation in telangana

[raatnam-media-blog]

తెలంగాణ లో తెలుగుదేశం ఇక కనుమరుగేనా ? | Vikram Poola Comment On TDP Part...

[kalyan-gullapalli]

Post # 124

The economics, humanities and politics of "Sarai"...

In February, 2014, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill was passed and Telangana broke away. The resultant state of Andhra now looks like this. :-)

In 2019, state general elections were held in A.P and YSR Congress won hands down. YS Jaganmohan Reddy became Chief Minister and set out to fulfill a unique electoral promise to his vote bank - Prohibition of Liquor in the state of A.P.

The new liquor policy, which includes a 40% reduction in bar licences, exorbitant hike of new license fees, closure of some 40000 illegal outlets, time restrictions and take over of bars by A.P State Beverages Corporation, aims to make Andhra Pradesh alcohol-free by 2024. A.P will then join Gujarat, Bihar, Mizoram, Nagaland and Lakshadweep as states/territories which have successfully implemented liquor prohibition.

But will Jagan be able to make this initiative a success in A.P? Because, this is not the first time such a thing has been tried in Andhra. In 1995, in a strange reversal of roles, Telugu Desam Party won the state elections, crushing Congress, and TDP Chief N T Rama Rao banned the sale of liquor in A.P. In 1995, his son-in-law, N. Chandrababu Naidu, staged a coup-of-sorts, toppled NTR, became Chief Minister and in 1997, reversed the decision.

But what was all that drama back then in 1990s? Therein lies a tale.

First of all, let's understand the economics of Liquor production and sale. Why is the state government so interested in it? It's very simple. Liquor fills the state government's revenue coffers in form of excise duty on its production. The state government also makes money from the issuance of licenses for its sale. Liquor boosts tourism and entertainment industries too.

The A.P state government discovered this golden hen sometime in the 1970s and since then, liquor has become a state policy. In 1970, the excise duty collected from liquor was INR 40 crores, which jumped to INR 800 crores in early 1990s and quantum leaped to INR 12000 crores in 2015. That's big money coming into the state revenue coffers.

In 1983, when NT Rama Rao came to power for the first time, he introduced a particularly aggressive liquor policy called Varuna Vahini (literally meaning Flood of Liquor), which delivered government-manufactured country liquor - Sarai, in Telugu, Arrack in English - to doorsteps, in easily affordable plastic sachets and bottles. He used some of this revenue to subsidise other populist schemes, like Rs 2 per kilo rice scheme.

Andhra Pradesh typically constitutes about 3-5% of sales of major liquor manufacturers like United Breweries and United Spirits. So, they usually have a word or two to say in this regard.

Oh! By the way, liquor contractors make a truck load of money too, which they invest in real estate, films, finance and construction projects, and make donations to cultural and religious institutions, thus strengthening their socio-political clout.

So, net-net, liquor manufacturing and sale is a well-oiled economic engine for any state, especially for Andhra Pradesh.

Now, let's understand the human aspects of state-promoted liquor sales.

I read a report that said, in 1991-92, the average annual income of a family in Andhra was, hold your breath, INR 1840. This was the total family income, for the entire year!

Out of this, the working male spent INR 830 on liquor. So, the man of the house spent 45% of his measly income on Sarai - Arrack. It was the norm. Every man, in every house, did it. And the government promoted it, supported it and benefited from it.

The logic was - the poor man had spent a miserable day, doing a miserable job, for a miserable pay. So it's ok, if he drowns his misery in a drink after sunset. Hmm. The problem was - the miserable man had a family - a wife, who slogged all day to make ends meet and feed her children. And god forbid, if there was an illness in the family, begging was the only way out.

On top of it, any body who has had a drink in their life knows, liquor is ok as a socializing drink. But it doesn't alleviate a man's misery. Infact, it compounds it.

This foul smelling man, in his foul mood, came home at midnight, in stupor, and sparks flew. Domestic violence, physical and mental abuse, were rampant. Suicides, rapes and murders were common.

Net-net, life in a village in Andhra Pradesh, which had a government-promoted arrack shop, was living hell, especially for the women folk. And because Arrack sale filled government coffers, there was an Arrack shop in every village. So life, in pretty much every village in Andhra Pradesh, was living hell for its women folk.

All of this was indicating an impending change. And change happened - in form of a massive, state level, Anti-Arrack movement, led by the women folk of Andhra Pradesh, which resulted in the prohibition of alcohol in the state!

In 1988, the Government of India launched the National Literacy Mission (NLM). In January 1990, the NLM was launched in Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. The state-organised mass-literacy campaigns led to women getting together and discussing their problems. The awareness brought on by these group discussions resulted in the women discovering that the consumption of locally made, cheap Arrack was the main source of their unsettled domestic life. This awareness resulted in a spontaneous movement in the small village of Dubagunta in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

The rural women of the village, who had no autonomy in any sphere of life, took it in their hands to fight against the production and sale of Arrack. They raided the Arrack shops with broomsticks and chili powder and cowered the owner into shutting the shop.

What started as an agitation in a single village, soon turned into a state-wide movement. In each village, women simply destroyed the ingredients used for the production of liquor. They also started policing the men in their individual households against consuming Arrack.

They then started speaking against the liquor contractors, local bureaucracy, police officials and even the Chief Minister. They started questioning the government on the availability of basic amenities like water, schools etc, which were in a dearth, as opposed to Arrack, which was always easily available. When the government insisted that the excise collected from the production of Arrack was used for welfare programmes, like the subsidy of rice, the women even agreed to contribute a day’s wages to help in the welfare schemes.

For them, it was clear. The cost-benefit equation of government-promoted liquor policies on human indices simply didn't match up to the economics. They put their foot down. Finally, when the movement had gained momentum in three districts, the government had to buckle under the pressure and ban Arrack in the state.

Now, let's go to the politics of the matter. Where there is a people's movement, there will be politics. And political parties.

It was 1994 - the election year in A.P. NT Rama Rao of TDP, the main opposition party, promised his electorate that, if they elected him to power, he would ban all forms of alcohol from the state (Toddy and IMFL - Indian made foreign liquor - were still available.) Ironically, it was his Varuna Vahini programme that was responsible for this situation. But, it was a powerful promise. So, he won a landslide election, came to power, and fulfilled his promise.

In 1995, Andhra Pradesh became alcohol free!

But this situation was shortlived. Within 9 months, NTR's son-in-law, N Chandrababu Naidu, staged a coup against his father-in-law, stating excessive interference of his second wife Parvathy Laxmi, in the party politics. Both NTR and Parvathy Laxmi were ousted from the party.

In 1997, Chandrababu Naidu, repealed the prohibition, stating that the exchequer has lost INR 1200 crores that year in excise revenue, illegal bootlegging had become unstoppable and that he was under pressure from all quarters to repeal the "dry rule." A few hushed and a few not-so-hushed voices say that there was no intent in the first place.

That's why there is some scepticism about Jaganmohan Reddy's latest initiative. Is there political will?

Post Script::

In 2016, 93 year old Dubagunta Rosamma, one of the early Anti-Arrack crusaders passed away, in Nellore.

Inspired by the story Seethamma kadha (the story of Seethamma) taught as part of the adult literacy programme in the night school in her village, the women of Dubagunta, led by Rosamma, destroyed the pots storing Arrack, after giving assurance to the families depending on the trade, thus sparking the first light of what would soon become a state-level agitation.

May this post be a small tribute to her!

[todaybharatnews]

via Today Bharat While Balakrishna was upset about being excluded from meetings earlier, he has cited personal reasons for staying away. Nandamuri Balakrishna,Tollywood actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA, might be skipping the meeting that is scheduled on June 9 between Andhra CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Tollywood biggies, including actors, producers and directors. As per reports, the meeting is being convened to discuss how the Telugu film industry in Andhra Pradesh can be developed in the current situation where there's uncertainty about film releases due to the coronavirus crisis. The welfare of the film fraternity will also be discussed. According to reports, megastar Chiranjeevi has already obtained an appointment with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy along with several other representatives from the Telugu film industry. However, Balakrishna who had recently lamented that industry representatives had neither informed nor invited him for a meeting that was held with Telangana Cinematography Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, is likely to skip the upcoming meeting. He has reportedly said that he cannot make it since he will be celebrating his 60th birthday on the same day. Responding to the meeting of Tollywood representatives at Chiranjeevi's house earlier, he had said, "Did they call me? No. What were they doing? They were doing real estate business and discussing land sale with Srinivas Yadav!? Nobody called me to the meeting." His comments had led to a controversy in the industry. While Balakrishna is a popular actor, he is one of the opposition MLAs of Chandrababu Naidu's TDP. The meeting is likely to be a discussion on the current situation of the Telugu film industry in the state, and the rejuvenation measures that are required for its development. Confirming this, producer C Kalyan told the media that the meeting between CM YS Jagan and industry representatives will be on Monday afternoon. C Kalyan said, "Chiranjeevi has taken CM YS Jagan's appointment. Representatives of the industry will be attending it. We will definitely discuss the recent government order, further development and expansion of the industry in the state (Andhra). After the meeting, we will hold a press meet to brief everyone about the details." While claiming that there are no differences in the Telugu film industry following Balakrishna's comments, he said, "We have invited Balakrishna. In fact, I myself invited him. But, he said that he would not be attending due to his birthday celebrations and pujas. He told us to get it done as his time and schedule are not matching. For sure we don't have differences or factions amongst us. Balakrishna will be at the forefront of the industry always."

[whittlebaggett8]

Repeat of 1996 in 2019 a real possibility: Naidu on a ‘Third Front’ forming govt

Machilipatnam: TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday said there is a “real possibility” of the region witnessing a repeat of 1996 in 2019 exactly where regional functions will occur jointly right after the Lok Sabha polls to evolve a ‘Third Front’ and kind a authorities.

Naidu also stated Congress will continue to be as an “anchor party” and that the final decision on a key ministerial candidate will be taken dependent on the number of seats received by the Front companions.

The assessment by Naidu arrived notwithstanding the unsuccessful attempts by Congress and other opposition parties to form a pre-poll ‘mahagathbandhan’ or a grand alliance to existing a united front from the BJP.

H D Deve Gowda, the present-day JD(S) supremo, became the key minister of a United Entrance(UF) authorities heading a group of regional functions backed by the Still left and Congress from outside immediately after the 1996 Lok Sabha polls threw a fractured verdict in which the BJP experienced emerged as the solitary premier party. Naidu was the convener of the Front then.

“A repeat of 1996 in 2019 is a real likelihood and this simply cannot be dominated out,” Naidu informed PTI in an interview.

Naidu also stated it is not likely the BJP will cross the 200 mark because of to what he called “growing adverse wave” towards the Modi federal government.

Naidu, who is searching for a 2nd time period as the main minister of the residual condition of Andhra Pradesh, said his Telugu Desam Get together (TDP) was self-confident of sweeping the two the assembly and Lok Sabha elections and defeat the YSR Congress Social gathering (YSRCP). Campaigning for the polls finished Tuesday.

Polling will be held in solitary period on April 11 in 175 assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies that has an voters of 3.93 crore.

“Now just about every regional social gathering is slowly distancing from the BJP. That by itself is a downside for Primary Minister Narendra Modi. An calendar year again, can anyone dare to oppose Modi. The Modi wave has occur down substantially and the detrimental wave for him has began,” Naidu reported.

Requested if the saffron celebration will be capable to cross 200 seats, he stated, “It is challenging simply because there is sizeable negativity towards the BJP”.

On just one hand, the BJP has unsuccessful to produce on its guarantees produced in the 2014 poll manifesto, whilst on the other it has ruined the democratic material of India by threatening the CBI and other impartial companies, he additional.

Naidu, who broke absent from an alliance with the BJP at the Centre early 2018 about the demand from customers for unique position for Andhra Pradesh, said a probable solid overall performance of regional get-togethers could go in opposition to the BJP if the nearby functions unite with each other just after the polls.

Asked if there could be the repeat of 1996 in 2019, he reported, “Everything is feasible. We really should not speculate factors correct now. I do not want to vitiate the atmosphere ideal now. Publish elections, we will discuss.” 

“It will all count on numbers and article-poll consensus. There is a democratic compulsion and before there was a secular and political compulsion. Now, there is political compulsion for all get-togethers to appear with each other towards the BJP.” 

On Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and YSRCP, each of whom are perceived to be ‘B team’ of BJP, heading delicate on Congress, Naidu explained they are performing “drama” to keep their minority votes.

“Of system, it is all drama. All minorities have made the decision to vote against BJP. Now, they are in predicament and as a result talking all these items,” he claimed, adding they are “playing dirty online games.” 

Requested if TRS chief and Telangana Main Minister K Chandrashekar Rao could possibly sign up for any Congress-led alliance article poll, Naidu mentioned, “Let them occur. On what situation they want to appear and underneath what instances they will sign up for I are not able to say. Before, he mentioned there will be a federal entrance(of non-Congress, non-BJP get-togethers) and afterwards grew to become a Modi friend. He is a beneficiary from BJP and we are suffering.” 

On electoral potential clients for the TDP in the assembly polls, Naidu claimed there is a really positive sentiment in favour of his social gathering and there is no dilemma for profitable, but it is a problem of winning the constituencies with a significant greater part.

“We are aiming 150-as well as and permit us hope for the very best,” Naidu said, adding that the most important battle is from the YSRCP which, he alleged, is currently being funded by K Chandrashekar Rao, also known as KCR.

“YSRCP is contesting by yourself but has a hidden pact with BJP. Now, KCR is supporting him. Why KCR is funding Jagan’s election? Is it to seize Andhra Pradesh? We really don’t want your (KCR) rule here. Who are you?” he said.

In 2014, the TDP and the BJP had fought alongside one another in Andhra Pradesh. This time, the TDP is contesting elections by yourself to consider on the YSRCP. The Congress is on the sidelines when the BJP is preventing a shedding struggle. Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Occasion, which has tied up with Still left events and the BSP, is nonetheless to be tested as a formidable challenger.

In 2014, Naidu in alliance with the BJP scraped through with 106 of the 175 Assembly seats. For the 25 Lok Sabha seats, the TDP gained 16 and BJP 2. The YSRCP had 68 seats and 7 MPs.

Linked

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[dailymagazinblog]

New Delhi [India] Nov 1 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday met Congress president Rahul Gandhi to discuss Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-Congress alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. The two leaders discussed about forming an alliance for the December 7 Assembly elections in Telangana and also form a grand alliance for the Lok Sabha polls next year. Addressing a joint press conference, Naidu said, "We are coming together to save the nation. We have to forget the past. Now, it is a democratic compulsion to unite. All opposition needs to be one." Taking a dig at the BJP, Naidu said, "I have been into politics for over 40 years but have never seen such a government, the situation in the country demands coming together of all opposition parties." Gandhi, on the other hand, announced that his party would work together with Naidu's TDP in order to "defend democracy and future of the country". "We had a very good meeting. The gist was that we have to defend democracy and future of the country. So, we are coming together to work. All opposition forces must unite," the Congress president said. The Congress and TDP rivalry is now in the past and what matters now is the present and the future, he added. Naidu has been meeting leaders of non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in view of the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections. On October 27, Naidu had met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and veteran leader Sharad Yadav. Earlier, he had also met former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has been extremely vocal and straight-forward about his critical opinions against the Centre. He had earlier said that the country needs a national-level alliance to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming elections. (ANI)

https://www.aninews.in/news/we-are-coming-together-to-save-our-nation-naidu-after-meeting-rahul201811012057030001/

[hellopulakesh]

First non-confidence motion against the Modi government in four years.

In 2014, when Narendra Modi took the oath of office of prime minister, with a massive majority. Someone did not even think that a motion of no confidence could be brought against the Modi government. But after 4 years ... for the first time, a motion of no confidence against the Modi government has been brought. This non-confidence motion will also be discussed in the Lok Sabha and voting will also happen. This is the political struggle that will take place in Parliament, the foundation of the battle for the next Lok Sabha election. If it is seen from a different perspective, the campaign will start from the Parliament on the same day for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In this, both the power and the opposition will get the full chance to talk to the public. Before 2019 this is a great opportunity to build your image between the people and no party will allow this chance to go through their hands. On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government is ready to discuss every issue. The more the discussion will be, the country will have the same benefit. But after the question period ended, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs started an uproar against the Modi government about the no-confidence motion and went to the well of the Lok Sabha. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked the opposition that TDP's distrust Who is in favor of the demand for the proposal? As soon as the speaker asked this question ... the whole opposition in the answer stood together. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also stood up and supported the motion of no confidence. The speaker immediately accepted the demand of the opposition and on behalf of the Central Government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar also agreed on this. Now this week, on Friday, from 11 am to 6:00 pm the debate will discuss first and after that, the voting will be done. This is the first fire test of the Modi Government to save the government in the Lok Sabha. Even in the game of statistics, the Modi government is still many steps ahead of the opposition. But Sonia Gandhi today raised suspense by saying that she has enough number in her hand. If we look at the current situation, then a majority of 273 seats are required for a majority of 545 seats in the Lok Sabha. But at present, 10 seats are vacant. 268 seats for the majority of the 535 seats in the Lok Sabha. The BJP currently has 273 seats. If the seat of the Lok Sabha speaker adds to it, then this figure rises to 274. That is, the BJP has more than 6 seats with majority data. Apart from this, BJP has the strength of its allies. BJP has the support of 12 parties, including Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party. The NDA has a total of 315 MPs, which is 47 more than the majority. Now, look at the strength of opposition parties. Congress has 48 seats, the second is the Trinamool Congress, which has 34 seats, the Telugu Desam Party, which has 16 seats. Apart from this, the Aam Aadmi Party has 4 MPs and the Aam Aadmi Party will also vote in favor of the non-confidence motion. In all, UPA and other opposition parties have 137 seats, which is 131 less than the majority. Apart from this, AIADMK has 37, BJD has 20 and Telangana Rashtra Samithi has 11 seats. But their stand on the no-confidence motion is yet unclear. Now the question should have arisen in your mind that when the opposition has no numbers force then what is the purpose of bringing a no-confidence motion against the government? TDP has brought this proposal because it wants to gain the confidence of the people of Andhra Pradesh by the special status. So that he could capture power again. But the real political advantage of this non-confidence motion is to meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Because Rahul Gandhi will see directly against Narendra Modi in the political war of no-confidence motion. That is, it is a fight to overcome the race against Narendra Modi.   At this time Rahul Gandhi, in 2019, can call the biggest candidate for the Prime Minister's post. Because at this time in the opposition, Congress is the largest party in terms of seats. You must remember that the Congress in-charge of the Indian Council of India, had clearly said that on behalf of the General Election, Rahul Gandhi is the natural candidate of the Prime Minister's post. But in the fight for Modi's opposition, Rahul is fighting against Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee Mamta Banerjee has already raised questions on Rahul Gandhi's leadership. Apart from this, BSP President Mayawati is also in the race for the post of Prime Minister. He does not have even one MP in the Lok Sabha. But his hold on Dalit votes is tremendous ... especially in Uttar Pradesh. The Samajwadi Party has 7 MPs in the Lok Sabha. Akhilesh Yadav is not a member of the Lok Sabha. Akhilesh has clearly said that he is not a prime ministerial candidate. He does not want to go outside of Uttar Pradesh. But as a young leader, he always compares with Rahul Gandhi. Now, note that Mamta Banerjee, Mayawati, and Akhilesh Yadav ... all these leaders are not members of the Lok Sabha. In such a way, Rahul Gandhi has gone ahead of the race to oppose Narendra Modi by supporting the motion of no confidence. That is, the Congress strategy is that only Rahul Gandhi will see against Narendra Modi. But the conclusions that have come out in the assembly elections till now, have not touched the Congress against Modi. In the assembly elections that took place after 2014, the Congress defeated in all the states except Punjab, where BJP's fight was directly from the Congress. It is also worth noting that there was no direct fight from the BJP in Punjab. This is clear ... Wherever Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi face a direct fight, there is a victory for Narendra Modi. That is why BJP also wants the Lok Sabha election for Modi Vs Rahul. But the real threat to BJP is from the regional parties. In the Bihar assembly elections, the duo of Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar defeated Narendra Modi. In addition, in West Bengal, Mamta Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi have to kneel in front of the BJP. The party, which recently removed BJP from power in Karnataka elections.       Read the full article

[raatnam-media-blog]

తెలంగాణలో తెలుగుదేశం ఇక కనుమరుగేనా ? | Vikram Poola Comment On TDP Party...

[todaybharatnews]

via Today Bharat nbsp; Having lost the elections in 2014, Uppula is up for a second race in a major fight against corruption in the state. nbsp; It is election time in Telangana and the state is all set to go to polls on December 7. Being Indiarsquo;s youngest state, 2018 election results will be a report card for the incumbent TRS government that came into power right after the bifurcation wave that helped the party sweep the 2014 polls. While TRS is fighting its main battle against the Mahakutami, an alliance of Congress, TDP, TJS and several other parties, several independent candidates belonging to diverse social spectrums have also become a part of the fight this election season. One such candidate is Ravindra Uppula, 46, a techie working with the IT giant Infosys in Hyderabad, who aims to steer clear of the political system of corruption if voted into power in the Serlingampally constituency. TNM spoke to Uppula about his political aspirations, the working IT populace in one of the richest constituencies in Telangana and his fight as an independent candidate without any political backing. You contested the 2014 polls and lost the election after winning only a few hundred seats. And four years later, you have again filed your nomination and seem to be clearer about your political aspirations. What makes you think the people would vote for you this time, considering that you are a candidate with no absolute political backing? In 2014, I made three major promises to the people. Firstly, I promised not to resort to any sort of corruption and take a single rupee, be it in the form of donations or gifts, even during my election campaigning. Secondly, I promised people to give a report card after every 100 days of work if I was elected into power. I promised accountability and transparency in the political system. Thirdly, I assured people that I would take a lie detector test if my accountability was under question, and prove that I havenrsquo;t taken a single rupee in the last 100 days of my work. But in 2014, the situation was different and the burning issue was the state bifurcation that had the emotions of the people at its peak. I lost miserably and the winning candidate had a landslide victory. The sitting MLA couldnrsquo;t even recover his deposit money. This year, the bifurcation issue is history. I have made the same promises to people in my constituency this year too and have reinstated my statement that it is honest people that the state requires now. The Serlingampally constituency mostly has well-read, educated people and I leave it to their good judgement to choose whatrsquo;s best for them. Because people are definitely disappointed with the current state of affairs after vesting power in the hands of an MLA who had a landslide majority in 2014. nbsp; An alumnus of NIT Warangal, you are an IT professional with over 20 years of experience in the field, with a family who lives in Hyderabad. So what explains this plunge into politics? Everybody is disappointed with the current state of affairs in our country. Be it at a professional or even a lunch gathering, people talk of change but nobody is ready to come forward to be the actual change. So if I am so worried about the issues plaguing my country, I cannot sit idle and wait for someone to come and do it for me. I have realised that corruption is the root cause of majority of social issues in this country. Our politicians are, no doubt, smart and intelligent people, but they spend their energy in channeling ideas to create wealth around themselves. If you see a politician laying roads, itrsquo;s very less likely that he/she is doing it for the welfare of the people and not for his personal benefit. So if a person like me can promise accountability and transparency in the way an elected government functions, that would definitely set a precedent in front of the people who place their trust in the candidate every time he/she is voted into power. Serilingampally is one of the constituencies that pay the highest property tax, but very little of it is used for its own welfare. Bad roads, frenzied construction, higher number of road accidents; all are issues that have been worrying the voters here. So apart from tackling corruption, which one of these will be your first priority if elected into power? I am part of two groups that have been working towards conserving lakes in our city, especially restoring the Nalagandla lake and another group that has been fighting the industrial pollution in the constituency. I value these two causes highly. But the first and foremost worrisome issue has always been the roads. We are a state that is home to world-class companies. We have more than one lakh IT employees in the constituency who provide solutions to other companies on how to deliver products in a couple of hours and suggesting more accessible modes of transit. So if we can solve problems for people sitting abroad, why canrsquo;t we find solutions to our own? nbsp; There is a common perception that techies are a group who remain the most aloof from electoral politics. In 2014 also, Serilingampally was the constituency that saw the least number of people coming out to vote. So being a techie yourself, what do you think is the reason behind this lack of interest? I would not agree to the perception that techies are people who are not bothered about the problems in this country. They are loyal citizens who regularly pay taxes and are law-abiding. In my company itself, there are several people who work with NGOs and other charitable organisations, especially the youngsters. They are definitely concerned about the development of the country but they are not into politics. They consider politics futile. They are ready to do their bit for their country but do not like to discuss politics. So, if there is a perception that IT people are not interested in the welfare of this country, it is false. But it is true that you see very few people IT professionals in politics because they do not believe in the system, they consider it as a muddy environment. This I would say is wrong and I would like to prove them wrong by setting an example myself. Without a proper political backing, what are your major modes of campaign? How are you reaching out to people? Last year, I distributed more than 1.75 lakh pamphlets in the entire constituency. That has been my primary mode of campaign. This year I am planning to distribute at least 3 lakh pamphlets, and I have made a core team of 25 people which includes my friends, neighbours, family and colleagues. This year I have expanded my campaigning through social media as well, mainly through Facebook, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, where I have already received an overwhelming response from people. I am waiting for the EC to provide me with an election symbol so that I can reach out to a larger number of people in an efficient manner. nbsp;

[todaybharatnews]

via Today Bharat The TDP sees the BJP as its arch enemy and has tied up with the Congress for the Telangana elections despite the fact that the TDP was born out of a call to eliminate a lsquo;corruptrsquo; Congress.TDP National President and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is pursuing a single point agenda these days to create a conducive and competitive political atmosphere at the national level to take on the seemingly invulnerable Modi-Shah duo. Naidursquo;s immediate priority is to chalk out and implement an action plan to put together a Congress-friendly front and see that such a combination gets ready in right time to counter the BJP juggernaut effectively in the 2019 general elections. It is not an easy task to convince the apparently irreconcilable parties like Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party, Aam Aadmi Party and BSP, and between the Trinamool Congress and Left parties. In the face of such obstacles lying ahead, Naidu is heading for another packed visit to Delhi on Thursday where he will hold in-depth discussions with Rahul Gandhi. ldquo;It is nothing new for the TDP to play a constructive role in national politics. I have taken it up as a political compulsion. An effective alternative has to be put together sooner than later,rdquo; Naidu said on Wednesday during discussions with his ministerial colleagues Kala Venkata Rao, Achchannaidu, Umamaheswara Rao and AP Planning Commission Vice Chairman C Kutumba Rao. An astute politician with four decades of experience, Naidu knows full well the challenges that lie in his path to iron out the differences among the anti-BJP parties. His October 27 visit to Delhi appeared to be provoked by one or two unsavoury political incidents in AP, but it was actually a clear preparation for the TDP chiefrsquo;s long-standing plan for his Mission 2019, that is, to take on PM Modi and Amit Shah. Ahead of his current Delhi visit, Naidu has given hints of how differences can be sorted out among national leaders for the parliamentary elections though they may have limited options at the regional level in their respective states. There has been a drastic change in the TDPrsquo;s policy towards BJP since March this year when Naidu broke his ties with the BJP-led NDA citing non-fulfilment of Special Category Status to AP as an immediate reason. On the other hand, the BJP making allegations of corruption, sand and liquor mafias against the Naidu government has long been a cause for rift, which widened further after the Centre stopped funds for the Polavaram irrigation project and the Amaravati capital construction, besides other issues. As things stand today, the TDP is seeing the BJP as its arch enemy leading to a situation wherein Naidu has entered into a tie-up with the Congress for the upcoming Telangana elections despite the fact that the TDP was born out of a call to eliminate a lsquo;corruptrsquo; Congress. The last two years have seen the BJP AP unit making all out efforts to strengthen their party at the cost of its relations with the TDP. This is seen as a big threat by TDP leaders who are unwilling to give scope to the national party to make any gains in AP. The battle for supremacy on the part of the TDP and the struggle for existence by the BJP have taken differences between them to a point of no return.

[todaybharatnews]

via Today Bharat Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is all set to raise several important points against the central government, during the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi on Sunday, especially the issue over the refusal to grant 'special category status' to his state.  According to reports, Naidu has been hosting a slew of meetings over the last week and has held extensive discussions on the issues that he will raise during the meeting. This will also be the first time that Naidu will come face-to-face with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the TDP pulled out of the NDA government, in March this year.  Calling for strengthened cooperative federalism, Naidu is also expected to raise several issues pending since the state's bifurcation in 2014.  Just days ago, Naidu targeted BJP for using the office of the Governor for the political benefits. "The trend of using the governor's office for political benefits of the ruling party at the centre, goes against the spirit of the Constitution," he tweeted. The remarks by Naidu, also the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President, assumed significance as it came on the eve of Governor E S L Narasimhan's meeting with Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. The Governor briefed Modi about the latest political developments in Andhra Pradesh in the wake of ongoing fight for special status by the opposition YSR Congress and also the protests organised recently by the ruling TDP. Narasimhan, who is Governor of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, had returned to Hyderabad without meeting Modi and Rajnath Singh in April following similar remarks by Naidu. The TDP chief had then expressed his disapproval over the Governor's style of functioning, alleging that Narasimhan was playing a key role in uniting all opposition parties against the TDP.  The TDP pulled out of the central government and BJP-led NDA in March over the issue of special status to the state. Naidu has since been targeting BJP and Modi for going back on their promise to accord special status. On several occasions, Naidu alleged that the BJP was hatching a "big conspiracy" against the TDP government and advised his party leaders to be ready to face any situation.