Looks like Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu has not lost his grudge against Praja Rajyam Party led by Chiranjeevi, for causing the defeat of the TDP in the recent elections.
Addressing a large number of PRP students who joined the TDP, Naidu did not hide his anger against the PRP. “Just before the elections, a new party entered the state politics, without any aim or objective. It has completely spoiled the good work done by the TDP in creating an anti-establishment feeling among the people. Rather than coming to power, this new party completely played a spoilsport with the TDP chances, by causing a split in the anti-establishment votes. As a result, the Congress could come back to power again,” he said.
The TDP president called upon the students to launch an agitation against the corrupt practices of the Congress government. “It is time all the students take up cudgels against corruption and irregularities in the administration,” he said.
Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi, at times, turns philosophical, while putting up a brave front on the party’s survival in some other times.
Reacting to the resignation of Dr P Mitra from the party, Chiranjeevi said there was no loss to the party, even if Mitra resigned. “He has done it for his personal reasons. It does not affect the party. Tomorrow, I may not be there in the party, but it will continue to exist,” he said.
It is not known whether he really wants to step out of the party or said it in a casual manner, but it shows the sorry state of affairs in the PRP. What will be the morale of the party leaders, if the president himself speaks so philosophically?
Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi will meet the party candidates who lost in the Assembly elections in the next two weeks. The meetings will commence on June 15 here and will continue up to 26.
In a press release, the party leaders said on June 15 Chiranjeevi would meet candidates of Adilabad, Anantapur and Srikakulam districts and on 16, those from Nizamabad, Kurnool and Vizianagaram districts. He would meet the candidates of Karimnagar, Kadapa and Visakhapatnam districts on 20, those from Khammam, Chittoor and East Godavari districts on 22 and the candidates from Mahaboobnagar, Nellore and West Godavari districts on 23. On June 24, Chiranjeevi would meet candidates of Nalgonda, Prakasam and Krishna districts.
On 25 and 26 he would interact with the nominees of Medak, Guntur and Warangal districts and Rangareddy and Hyderabad respectively. The PRP president would discuss the issues related to the party organisation and on the preparations for the local body elections.
PRP wants sub quota
Meanwhile, the PRP has decided to demand sub quota for BCs, SCs and STs in the women’s reservation bill to be tabled in Parliament soon. The party discussed the issue at a meeting presided over by Chiranjeevi and felt that unless BCs, SCs and STs were given sub quota in the reservation for women, the objective of the bill would not be achieved.
It appears that the party had decided to follow the line taken by the Samajwadi
Party with which it wanted to form a fourth front at the Centre.
The Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi is clueless as to how to go about in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections to be held immediately and the local body elections in the next few months.
The party does not have any organisational structure even now and it is difficult to build one in a very short time. So, some leaders like Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao and Tammineni Sitaram have suggested to Chiranjeevi to have an understanding with the Telugu Desam and the Communists in the coming days, so that a stronger opposition can put up a strong fight against the Congress. “Barring TRS, we are prepared to have alliance with all the three partners of the Mahakootami, including the TDP,” Kotagiri told media persons on Friday.
In fact, the idea has come from the TDP itself. Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, who tried to lure all his erstwhile party friends who joined the PRP back into the TDP, suggested that it would be in the best interests of both the TDP as well as the PRP to join hands, if the Congress has to be defeated. Those who have not come from the TDP are not accepting the idea. If such an alliance takes place, they might even prefer to join the Congress, sources say. As of now, Chiranjeevi has no answer!
At least seven MLAs belonging to Praja Rajyam Party are eager to join the Congress party as early as possible.
According to the Gandhi Bhavan sources, these MLAs, a couple of them belonging to Rayalaseema, one MLA from Telagnana and rest from coastal Andhra contacted Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy individually in the last two days and expressed their willingness to join the Congress. They are apparently lost hope in PRP president Chiranjeevi’s abilities to lead the party to victory at least in the next elections.
According to them, Chiranjeevi is heavily depending on a few leaders surrounding him and is not a position to chalk out strategies. At least their political future would be secured, if they joined the Congress, they felt.
However, YSR asked them not to be hasty. “If you join the Congress now, I will get a bad image of poaching the MLAs in the initial days itself. You be there in the PRP and then, support the Congress. In the long run, I will protect your interests,” he is learnt to have told them.
Congress Party has almost swept the MLA and MP seats in the last General election held in Greater Hyderabad -Ranga Reddy districts.
Now the Municipal Corporations is getting ready for elections in GHM. There is clear edge for congress to win these elections.
To put a check to Congress party, TDP and PRP along with CPI and CPM are going to form Grand alliance for this elections leaving TRS apart.
Primary discussion on this already took place between TDP and PRP.
We should also remember that GHM constitutes with maxim settlers who influence the elections result. This might have forced these parties to keep TRS at distance from Grand alliance.
“I am well prepared to face ragging in the House,’’ Praja Rajyam Party floor leader Chiranjeevi said while making his maiden speech in the Assembly during the Motion of Thanks to Governor’s address today.
When Chiranjeevi claimed that his party gave tickets to 100 Assembly seats to backward classes, some Congress members shouted: “You sold the tickets.’’ Responding to this, Chiranjeevi said: “Like in the college where freshers are teased by seniors, I am also prepared to face such things here,’’ Chiranjeevi said.
Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy said that ragging was banned by the Government. The Speaker advised Congress members to stop the ‘running commentary’ and not to interrupt the speech of Chiranjeevi.
Reacting to this, Chiranjeevi said that he was prepared for ragging.
“Better that the seniors resort to ragging early. If they rag me, I can feel relieved as the matter is over,’’ he quipped.
Notwithstanding the murmurs by ruling party members, Chiranjeevi made his speech giving suggestions to the Government. Though, he came to the House with a prepared speech, he deviated from it intermittently retorting to the barbs from the Treasury benches.
After Chiranjeevi spoke, the Speaker complimented him saying, “It is a good maiden speech.’’ Chiranjeevi wished the Congress to remain in power for years. “If you do good you will be in power life long. If you fail to deliver the goods, we (the Opposition) will take the opportunity to rule,’’ Chiranjeevi cautioned.
He suggested to the Congress to think of ‘result-oriented’ work.
On the nine-hour free power supply to farmers, the PRP leader said that even seven hour power was sufficient, if the power was given in a single spell.
He wondered how the Government would complete the Jalayagnam by allocating Rs 10,000 cr every year, when it required a whopping Rs 2 lakh crore to complete all the projects.
Chiranjeevi also advised the Government to take Sridharan’s suggestion on Hyderabad Metro Rail Project. Touching upon various issue like potable water, suicides by weavers and farmers and lack of basic infrastructure, Chiranjeevi said that the Governor’s speech presented only one side of the coin. “The problems I have mentioned here speak about the other side of the coin,’’ he pointed out.
When Chiranjeevi appreciated the Government for giving Home Minister post to a woman, the Congress members thumped the benches. “You can thump the benches more loudly,’’ Chiranjeevi quipped.
While narrating the pathetic tales of sufferers, Chiranjeevi advised the Speaker to display the photographs of people suffering due to water contamination, the farmer who committed suicide and the women who faced atrocity.
These pictures will remind the members to think about them and discuss about the problems of the people rather than about how to get re-elected, he said.
The Praja Rajyam chief, Mr K. Chiranjeevi, on Wednesday, appealed to the state government to give top priority to provide safe drinking water. Participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address, Mr Chiranjeevi lamented the inability of the governments to provide water despite technological advancements. Acute drinking water crisis was forcing women to walk several miles even in districts like East and West Godavari. The Governor’s address is a dream but turns a nightmare on facing reality, he added.
Mr Chiranjeevi also said he would not mind Congress remaining in power forever as long as it catered to the needs of poor. The PR chief questioned the government on cancelling the ration cards terming them bogus after claiming credit for issuing record number of ration cards. Mr Chiranjeevi said the belt shops should be phased out.
While appreciating the Chief Minister for appointing Ms Sabita Indira Reddy as the home minister, he said a woman should be posted as excise minister to counter the damage caused by liquor in family life.
Praja Rajyam Party chief K Chiranjeevi said on Wednesday that people in Andhra Pradesh were crying for even basic needs like drinking water, while the Congress Government was making tall claims about its achievements.
“What is the use of achieving a nine per cent growth rate when people are left with parched throats? Be it the tribal areas in Adilabad district or the fertile Godavari districts, or fluoride-affected Nalgonda, lakhs of people still do not have access to safe drinking water,” Chiranjeevi said in his maiden address in the state Assembly.
The Telugu megastar, a first-time MLA, vented his anguish rather than anger over what he said sorry state of affairs and pathetic living conditions, during discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address.
In his 45-minute speech, Chiranjeevi mocked at the government’s claim of registering an annual six per cent growth in the agriculture sector.
“If that is true, why have 7,500 farmers committed suicide in the last five years. Even today, farmers are suffering as they are unable to get even the minimum support price on their produce,” the PRP leader said.
Government schools were being shut down on the pretext of low enrolment, he said. “We have to explore the reasons for poor enrolment. Children are unable to get access to good education and are ending up as child labour.”
Stating that irrigation projects were required for the development of the state, Chiranjeevi said government should prioritise the schemes instead of taking up all in one go.
As per the current estimates, a staggering Rs two lakh crore will be required to complete the 81 irrigation projects taken up by the government. Where will the money come from and how many decades will it take to complete them? asked Chiranjeevi.
The actor-turned-politician said the government could create an additional “ayacut” of only 19 lakh acres in the past five years despite the promise of creating an extra irrigation potential of one crore acres.
The area served by an irrigation project such as a canal, dam or tank is called ayacut. There was no industrial development worth the name in Andhra Pradesh in the last five years even as neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu made rapid strides, he said.
“We have got many special economic zones sanctioned but not a single major industry has come up in the state so far. The SEZs are in fact turning into realty zones.”
On Telangana, Chiranjeevi said, “Commitment is important, not the number of committees you have constituted on the issue.”
Summing up, the PRP chief promised full support to good programmes initiated by the government. “We don’t mind sitting in the Opposition if you do good to the people and the state. Otherwise, people will show you your place.”
Exclusive Chiru speech in assembly 1st day Video
Chiranjeevi First Assembly Speech Video1
FIRST Speech by CHIRANJEEVI in AP Assembly Video2
chiru 1st speech in assembly Video3
Chiranjeevi dons role of legislator Video4
Chiranjeevi Taking Oath as MLA in Andhra Pradesh Assembly Video5
HYDERABAD: In a speech more appropriate for light, sound and action, Prajarajyam president Chiranjeevi said the Congress can rule the state for as long as it wants, provided it looks after the welfare of the people.
Speaking on the motion of thanks to the governor’s address, Chiranjeevi said the PRP is with the Congress as long as it ensures the welfare of the people by coming out with sound policies. “You can rule as long as you want. Happy. Claps, claps. But the day you ignore their welfare, we will take over,” he said in his maiden speech in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Chiranjeevi demanded that the state government address itself to drinking water problem, particularly in Adilabad and Nalgonda districts where the people were suffering from fluoride. “Though only Rs 150 crore is enough to solve the problem, the policy makers failed to take any action,” he said.
Quoting statistics, Chiranjeevi said if the agriculture sector was in good shape and if the growth rate was six per cent as claimed by the government, why 7,500 farmers committed suicide. Taking a dig at the nine-hour free power for the agriculture sector, he said what they need is at least 5 hours of uninterrupted power supply.
