Tag Archives: chiru praja ankita yatra

Chiranjeevi Road Show Houseful in Warangal

Like a torrent, people poured on to the roads. The crowds spilled all over, from the trees, building and traffic dividers. Cutting across party affiliations, people thronged to catch a glimpse of Praja Rajyam leader Chiranjeevi when he arrived in Warangal district for his three-day tour on Sunday evening.

With great excitement people gathered at every traffic junction several hours before to see their matinee idol and listen to his message. The whole town was colourfully decorated with festoons and huge glow sign boards featuring photographs of Chiranjeevi and local leaders. Under the glowing sign boards, people gathered at several places all along the route from Hasanparthy to Hanamkonda chowrastha. They virtually blocked the road preventing vehicular traffic. The police who were in large numbers had a tough time with the crowds swelling each passing moment.

As the arrival of Mr. Chiranjeevi was delayed by several hours, the crowds grew with people from surrounding villages on either side of the roads making a beeline to see and listen to their favourite actor.

Youth came in great numbers while the women appeared thin. Local leaders tried their best to show their strength by mobilising people and putting up large banners and party flags at every possible point en route.

‘Vote for change’

Karimnagar Staff Reporter adds: Blaming the State government for the escalation of prices of all essential commodities and burdening the people, Chiranjeevi promised to end their woes if Praja Rajyam is elected to power.

Launching his last lap of the four-day Praja Ankhita yatra in Karimnagar town, he also flayed the State government for failing to provide minimum facilities such as proper roads, drinking water, RTC buses, uninterrupted power supply etc to the citizens. Addressing the women, who attended in large numbers at the roadshow near Kaman crossroads, he said that they were facing several hardships to run their families. People were facing problems due to the inefficient performance of the State government and the time has come for changing the government, he said.

Quality services

He vowed to would provide quality education and health services and strive to bring about a social change.

“Why elect the same person when there is no change”, he questioned and called upon the people to give a chance to Praja Rajyam to bring the ‘change’ in the society.

Referring to the presence of large number of youth, he asked them to enrol themselves in the voters list and play a responsible role. Hailing the communal harmony in Karimnagar district, he said that he would accord priority in the allocation of party tickets in the elections and elect Muslims as public representatives.

He also promised to allocate 10 acres of land to Idgah in Karimnagar town after attaining power.

Praja Rajyam Party Flays Package for Weavers

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Taking exception to continued criticism heaped on the Praja Rajyam party (PR) president K. Chiranjeevi, spokesman Parakala Prabhakar lashed out at government for not properly understanding the problems facing weavers in Sircilla.

“Either the Congress leaders did not read our Sircilla Declaration or did not understand it, otherwise Handlooms and Textiles Minister P. Sabita Reddy must have simply read out the matter prepared by someone down the line in the department”, he said.

“Does she know that the workers are paid a measly 62 paise a metre of cloth they produced?”, he asked, describing Government’s package for weavers as a ‘farce’.

He recalled the Minister saying the government had established a counselling centre to help instil confidence among weavers.

It existed for a while now and was being run by a voluntary agency which was working in other sectors.

The NGO did not get any government assistance.

A research scholar at the London School of Economics and member of the PR’s Regional Issues Study Committee, M. Pramod Reddy pointed out that government had claimed to have released Rs. 6.84 lakh to help an estimated 3,500 weavers. He regretted that about 35,000 weavers needed assistance. This move too, was only after Mr. Chiranjeevi’s visit to Sircilla, and spending time with the suffering weavers, he said.

Ad spending

The spokesman objected to the government releasing advertisements worth Rs.16 crore on the AP Formation Day. Mr. Pramod said the amount if pumped into Sircilla would have helped triple the earnings of weavers for a year.

Telangana folk have chiru in a pincer

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Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi’s equivocal statement on Telangana yesterday has failed to cut ice in T-territory, with protests continuing to dog his tour.

at several places during his Praja Aankita Yatra in Karimangar district, TRrS activists insisted that he emphatically speak out in favour of Statehood for the region and join them in raising the slogan “Jjai Telangana’’.

however, the yatra passed off peacefully.

Chiranjeevi began around 12 noon and went around this mining town till 3:00 p.m., attracting big crowds, before moving on to Peddapalli.

The actor-turned-politician evinced keen interest in the mines, asking locals about the open-cast ones and paying tributes at the two monuments to the memory of the victims of the 2003 and 2008 accidents.

He also made some promises to the kin of the dead miners.

TRS activists who joined the crowds at the Centenary Colony at Godavarikhani waved their party’s flags and raised slogans in support of Telangana. They urged Chiranjeevi to chant “Jai Telangana’’, but the latter declined saying the Centre should take the call on T State.

Reiterated his stand on Telangana, he said: “Ii don’t behave like the present chief minister. Iif the Centre proposes T State, will not be an obstacle to it.’’ Speaking at Godavarikhani, Chiranjeevi promised that if his party formed the Government it would reopen the Fertilizer Corporation of India factory which was closed down eight years back.He critisised the government for shutting the factory and snatching away the livelihoods of thousands of workers.

a s for the miners, he assured them they “would be exempted from paying Income Tax’’ and also critisised the Government’s indifference to implementing the recommendations of the Eighth Pay Commission.

Chiranjeevi promised a university at Singareni for the benefit of miners’ children.

On the subject of graft, he maintained that the “petty corruption’’ indulged in by government employees bore no comparison to the staggering malfeasance of politicians which amounted to Rrs 50,000 crore and posed the biggest hurdle to development.

Iit was time the menace was tackled, Chiranjeevi said.

Not averse to Telangana, says Chiranjeevi

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Film actor Chiranjeevi has at long last broken his silence on the vexed Telangana issue, saying he would not oppose creation of the State if the Centre initiated measures for bifurcation.

He urged the people of Telangana to pressure the Centre to speed up the process. Addressing whistlestop meetings during his Praja Ankita Yatra in Karimnagar district, the actor-turnedpolitician lashed out at parties ‘‘using the Telangana card only to benefit politically’’.

At the same time, Chiranjeevi dropped enough hints that his party would not fight for creation of the State.

In other words, it would neither take initiative to push forward the ongoing movement for T nor come in the way if the State Assembly and Parliament decided in favour of it.

Meanwhile, the actor’s articulation of his party’s position on the Statehood question has set off reactions among all others in the State. The Congress reacted with caution and warned its leaders against commenting on it, even as the TRS said that if the Congress took a decision it would have no objection to working with it in the next election.

The TDP, for its part, claimed that it was only after it took a position on Telangana that other parties were falling in line. ‘‘We knew that Chiranjeevi would take this stand,’’ TDP Parliamentary Party leader K Yerran Naidu maintained.

In New Delhi, meanwhile, Congress general secretary and AP affairs incharge Veerappa Moily claimed: ‘‘The Congress is committed to the formation of a separate State. If Telangana is not a reality already, it is because of the TDP delaying the decision, and the TRS lacking patience and pulling out of the UPA.’’ ‘‘Chiranjeevi is beating around the bush. He is not saying clearly whether he would take steps for the creation of the State,’’ was the comment from APSRTC chairman and senior Congress leader M Satyanarayana Rao, who hails from the district in which the actor broke his ‘Statehood’ silence.

Nizamabad MP and AICC secretary Madhu Yaskhi, however, said he welcomed Chiranjeevi’s statement and felt it would pressure all parties to take steps for the creation of a separate State. TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao also congratulated Chiranjeevi for making the announcement and looked forward to a bill being introduced in the next session of Parliament. CPI state secretary K Narayana said Chiranjeevi took the decision in favour of Telangana because there was no alternative left either for the film actor or, for that matter, for any political party.

Chiru is childish, says Naidu

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Teugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu described the comments made by Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi on TD’s changed stand on Telangana as “unwarranted and childish.”

Chiranjeevi on Friday said, without referring to TD, that “one party is following the family planning slogan on Telangana. Earlier it said “ek bas, do nahin.” Now, it is saying “hum do, hamare do.”

Naidu said Chiru should not talk like a child, but should make a deep study of politics, before making such criticism. “Perhaps, he was parroting words, scripted by somebody else,” he said. He explained that a political party should go by the demands from the people from time to time. As such, TD had changed the stand, after making a thorough study of the issue and analysing the demand in a scientific manner.

Cong, TDP poll surveys predict Chirudoom

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Internal surveys by the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party apparently seem to claim that Chiranjeevi may draw crowds, but would not be able to transform them into votes. Reliable sources in the two major political parties say that the Congress survey points to the ruling party getting at least 137 seats, while the TDP survey points to N Chandrababu Naidu’s party getting around 140 seats.

However, the respective surveys seem to say that the entry of Chiranjeevi has voters polarised on caste basis, particularly in Krishna, East and West Godavari districts. According to the TDP survey, Kapus (including the sub-castes like Balijas, etc) constitute about 22 per cent of the total population, but it is unlikely that Chiranjeevi would get all the votes of his community.

“Chiranjeevi has die-hard fans in the Congress and the TDP, as has been indicated by the crowds that he attracted in the north coastal region, but our survey indicates that all this will not transform into votes for him,” said TDP parliamentary party leader K Yerranaidu.

Both the surveys also seem to warn the respective parties that first-time voters will be attracted to Chiranjeevi. Because of the entry of Chiranjeevi, the surveys indicate that Kammas, who constitute about nine per cent of the state’s population, are preferring the TDP as their first choice and, ironically, Congress as their second. Reddys, who constitute about eight per cent of the population, appear to prefer the Congress as their first choice and, again, ironically, the TDP as their second preference.

Women, the Backward Classes and upper castes, have been found by the surveys as ‘undecided’ and possibly tilt towards Chiranjeevi. Hence the surveys command the Congress and the TDP to immediately focus on these sections.

The TDP survey sees price rise, alleged corruption in irrigation and housing projects as going against the Congress, while the ruling party survey points to same development schemes, rural employment guarantee scheme, the Rs 2-akg rice scheme and ‘pavlavaddi’ as the sops that would fetch the party the 137 seats.

However, both the surveys left a margin of 30 to 40 seats either way depending on the possible alliances that can materialise between the Congress on the one side and the TDP on the other. “The TRS, T Devender Goud and the Left parties will have a say on these 30 to 40 seats depending on which of the two main parties they sail along with,” said one leader.

Jayaprada wants to contest from Telangana

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The ‘Rampur ki pari’ now wants to test the Telangana waters. After gushing about the Rampur locals’ love and support for her, Jayaprada said she would love to contest from Telangana region in the coming elections on Samajwadi Party ticket to uplift the women and develop the region.

Interacting with a section of mediamen on Sunday, Jayaprada, who was here on a visit to the riot-hit Bhainsa town and Vatoli village along with SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav and general secretary Amar Singh, said she is confident of contesting from the region once the party’s proposed alliance with Prajarajyam party is formalised.

She said negotiations with PRP for an electoral pact for the 2009 elections are going on.

Goud declares Telangana as separate state

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The Nava Telangana Party (NTP) led by former Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh T Devender Goud on Sunday declared Telangana as a separate state.

“We solemnly declare statehood for Telangana on November 02, 2008,” freedom fighter Konda Laxman Bapuji announced at a programme organised by NTP at Indira Park here.

Goud released 10 pigeons in the air symbolising the 10 districts of the region. He also unfurled the national flag on the occasion.

Goud and his party activists were later arrested when they tried to barge into the state Secretariat to change the name plate — from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana. There was a scuffle between the police and the NTP workers on the occasion.

Later, the arrested persons were taken away to the Chikkadapalli police station. Other NTP workers descended on the scene and staged a dharna in protest against the arrest.

Some of them pasted a sticker proclaiming Telangana State on the police station wall, which was promptly removed by the police.

Earlier, Goud said they had announced statehood for Telangana only in deference to the wishes of the people of the region.

“Some people have been saying this is anti-Constitution. But the architect of the Indian Constitution, B R Ambedkar, himself favoured smaller states not just for the sake of administrative convenience but also for the overall well-being of people, particularly the downtrodden sections,” Goud said. He said mere announcement of a separate state did not end their struggle.

“The movement for Telangana will continue. In fact, it has to be intensified now,” Goud added.

The political atmosphere was conducive for Telangana with all major parties, barring the Congress, favouring separate statehood for the region.

“We have to take our struggle ahead in a peaceful manner without giving in to any provocations,” he said.

The NTP leader assured the “settlers” residing in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana that they could continue to live in the “separate state” without any apprehensions.

“There has always been a brotherhood between people of Telangana and those who have come from other regions. This brotherhood will continue,” he said.

Goud asked the NTP workers and government employees to replace the name boards in all government offices and institutions with the ‘Telangana State’ stickers.

Even the vehicle registration plates should carry TG in place of AP, he said.

While Indian Roller has been chosen as the ‘state bird’ of Telangana, a song ‘Jai Jai Telangana’ written by poet Ande Sri would be the official song of the state.

Naidu Playing With Balayya’s Dreams

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Chandrababu Naidu is the decision maker as far as Yuvagarjana is considered and nothing surpasses him without his consent. Balayya wanted to land at Nagarjuna University in a helicopter but the idea was toed down by Naidu. He said that landing in helicopter would give wrong signals for public and hence advised all Nandamuri clan to come along with him on road from Vijayawada to Nagarjuna University. Adding to this Naidu is averse for spending huge in front of public.

Balayya wanted to give a filmy touch for his political debut by directly landing close to the Yuvagarjana dais. His idea is to do something greater than Chiranjeevi. But now the dreams have landed on road. Moreover, it is now the challenge for organizers and police forces to see that nothing bad happens on road way and there wouldn’t be any traffic hassles.

And coming to helicopters there are about 72 in number all together with commercial operators and all of them were hired at premium prices much in advance as election fever is on. Ambanis, Gali Janardana Reddy and Adikesavulu Naidu possess about 20 choppers. While Gali and Adikesavulu Naidu would help Congress with their choppers only Ambanis should help Naidu on request in this regard as they have good intimacy with him.

Chiranjeevi Fans ‘From Blood To Flood’

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Chiranjeevi camp has found right time to gain mileage in public. The camp has passed on signals for Chiru fans to help and rescue heavy rain victims in the state. Before the local leaders wake up to start rescue operations, Chiru fans are getting ready to lend their helping hands. Thanks to Indian politics, there is competition even to help the destitute and sufferers.

Chiranjeevi fans are better known as ‘Blood Donors’ all these days. From now onwards they can also be called ‘rescuers of Flood victims’ as well. As majority of Chiru fans are youngsters, people would certainly get right help in effective way.

Let us see if people tend towards Chiranjeevi in right way and vote for him as the camp assumes.