Fact Sheet: Hard choice before voters in 2009

It seems voters in Andhra Pradesh are in for really tough time choosing candidates during the May 2009 Assembly elections. Even small political parties have come out with a plethora of promises. The big political parties have promised everything that's possible under the blue sky. With still 18 months left for the polls, these political parties may come out with a few more promises, of course with some twists to the already made promises. This will be so because hardly any new political promise is left for these parties to announce.

An average voter will now have before him at least a dozen important promises and half a dozen political parties to choose from. He may be confused since all these political parties are making their promises appear genuine. Only the intelligent and discerning voters will be able to judge between these political parties to choose the right party and the right candidate.

Since our politicians want confusion to be created in the mind of voter so that they could benefit from the confusion, it's really going to be a hard time for the sincere voter when he or she enters the polling booth to excercise the adult franchise.

In-charge PCC chief asserts position

Till the other day, nobody, except a few old timers in the Congress, was aware who G S Rao was in the party. Now that he has been made in charge president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, he has become a known figure in the political and media circles.

And Rao, too, understood the importance of the post. Though initially he maintained a low profile as he had been doing in the past, he has slowly started asserting himself and his position, after realizing that the Congress high command might take some more time in appointing a regular PCC president. And he also threw his hat in the ring for the full-time post.

So, Rao wants to make hay while sun shines. He is addressing media conferences on a regular basis, attacking Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu and issuing showcause notices to the dissident Congress leaders in the districts. At the same time, he is making "pyravis" in the officials circles in the capacity of PCC president to make a quick buck. Who knows Rao will be richer by a few millions by the time he loses the post to a regular PCC president!

YSR, Babu fight over tax payers' cost

Challenges and counter challenges. Statements and counter statements. Allegations and counter allegations. The fight between Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has taken an ugly turn. It has finally reached the stage of constituting an official commission to probe into the allegations and counter allegations. So far so good. It provided political entertainment to the common man.

But what about the money component? The commission which is likely to be set up will required at least Rs 1 crore to complete its probe. There will be an office, staff, telephones, vehicles and all the paraphernalia. Then there is the salary component. It takes its own time and the more time it takes the more money is spent on the commission.

And where from this money the government will get? Certainly not from Chandrababu Naidu or from Rajasekhar Reddy. The State government itself will bear the cost. And the poor tax payers will have to cough up from their pockets.

Rumors: What does Kavuri outburst signify?

The sudden outburst of Elluru MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao against the UPA government at the Centre and the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government in the State for denying adequate support price for paddy has raised many an eyebrow in the Gandhi Bhavan circles on Tuesday.

The party leaders were wondering as to what made Kavuri to use such a harsh language against the UPA government and instigate the farmers against Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh demanding support price of Rs 1,000 per quintal of paddy. Many leaders feel it might be because Kavuri had got an indication from Sonia that he would not be considered for any Cabinet berth in the proposed expansion, for the simple reason that yet another Kamma could not be accommodated in the Cabinet, which already has two people – Renuka Chowdary and Daggubati Purandareshwari – from the same community. So, Kavuri is disappointed.

Secondly, there is a talk that Kamma leaders in the coastal Andhra are consolidating their ranks against Rajasekhar Reddy personally, if not the Congress per se. And Kavuri, who is nurturing grouse against YSR, might be part of the game plan of Kammas to dethrone YSR. But will spitting venom on the UPA government help Kavuri is a question to be answered.

Fact Sheet: Nagender becomes too high handed

Fresh from his newly gained position as the president of Greater Hyderabad City Congress Committee, former MLA Danam Nagender is behaving as he has already become Mayor of Greater Hyderabad and therefore, can do anything.

The Congress leaders in the city are already bearing the brunt of Nagender's highhanded behaviour. He has developed his own coterie around him and is caring a damn for the sincere party workers in the city. Even the police officers are facing nightmarish experience with Nagender, who is raiding the police stations and getting the party workers and anti-social elements released from the custody. His contention is that those who were arrested in various cases are closer to him and they will play a major role in the Congress victory in the GHMC elections. The police are unable to do anything, as Nagender is closer to Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.

Nagender's highhanded behaviour has also become a trouble for Hyderabad brothers – P Janardhan Reddy and M Shashidhar Reddy. Though both of them are MLAs, it is the Nagender's word that prevails in all the offices and police stations in the city. In denying entry for them into the Begumpet airport during President's visit and denial of chair to PJR at the official meeting , Nagender played a big role. In the coming days, Nagender is expected to get more and more prominence, party sources say.

I don't miss Twenty20 cricket: Sourav Ganguly

Mumbai, Oct 16 (IANS) Sourav Ganguly's explosive batting style - which he rediscovered in the Nagpur ODI against Australia - would have made him a successful batsman in Twenty20 cricket, but the former Indian captain says he doesn't miss the newest and fastest version of the game.

"I don't think I miss Twenty20 cricket. I don't know what it would have been if this kind of cricket was introduced during my younger days. But now I don't think I would have really missed it," Ganguly told IANS in an interview here.

Ganguly along with Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid - known as the 'Big 3' of Team India - made themselves unavailable for the Twenty20 World Cup. Their non-availability put wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the hot seat of captaincy. Dhoni led a bunch of young players to victory at the inaugural world championship of the newest form of cricket in South Africa.

That win gave India some of its future stars, who rose to the occasion when it mattered the most. They beat Pakistan in a nerve biting finish at the final, and the squad is now tipped to be the future of Indian cricket.

"I think this team has all the ingredients to be the world champions. The new guys are really good and they all are talented and will do the country proud in the coming days," said Ganguly, who won the best captain in 75 years of Indian Test cricket award.

Ganguly beat some of the biggest names of Indian cricket like Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavsakar and the late C.K. Nayudu and late Vinoo Mankad for the prestigious award.

"It is a great honour to be adjudged as the best captain of 75 years of Indian Test cricket. My best success as a captain, I think, will always remain beating Pakistan in their home in 2004," said Ganguly.

India defeated Pakistan for the first time on their soil to win a Test series in March 2004. The series was also memorable because Virender Sehwag became the first Indian to score a triple century with a solid knock of 309.

Ganguly had words of praise for Dhoni and said the 26-year-old should be given more time to click.

"I am sure he will take India to new cricketing heights. The only thing he lacks is experience and he should be given more time to gain it," said Ganguly.

On his role in the Indian team as a senior player, Ganguly said: "The only thing I have to do is to keep on performing. I have to keep on scoring runs.

"Performance and not age should be the criteria for selection in the team," he said.

KCR spreads T-sentiment among tribals

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao is making serious efforts to attract the tribals and rope in them into the Telangana movement, so as to garner their votes in the next elections.

Hitherto, KCR did not focus his attention on the tribals in the remote areas to realize his dream of Telangana State. They were neglected by mainstream political parties like the Congress and the TD, who used them only as vote banks. For the first time, the TRS president is trying to spread the Telangana sentiment among the tribals, stating that they would get due justice and political representation only if the Telangana State is formed. His participation in the death anniversary of Tribal Legendary in Jodenghat in Keramaeri mandal on October 26 is being viewed as an attempt to strengthen the TRS base among the tribals who can play role in deciding result of two reserved constituencies and in two general seats and MP seat.

Party sources said KCR would also tour in interior tribal villages in Narnoor, Jainoor, Sirpur (U) and interact with the bereaved families of tribals who died due to malaria, diarrohea and gastroenteritis. He would also planning to pay visit to the Indravelli martyrs memorial on the way to Jodenghat. KCR will participate in public meting in Nirmal on October 25 before participating in the Komuram Bheem's death anniversary in Jodenghat.

Fact Sheet: Babu becomes a farmer for votes

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu is spending two days in Godavari sharing the problems of farmers, particularly those growing paddy. The East and the West Godavari districts play a crucial role in Assembly elections and the Telugu Desam had fared badly in both the places in May 2004 elections. These districts were once considered the bastion of the Telugu Desam. Now they are no more TD's citadel. The Congress has taken over the two districts. In a desperate attempt to woo back the voters to the Telugu Desam fold, Chandrababu Naidu took up the cause of paddy growers. He wants a support price of Rs 1000 per quintal to be given to paddy yields on par with wheat.

Though the Congress too took up the paddy issue with the Central government and Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy himself wrote a letter to Prime Minister, the TD leader went a step ahead to spend some time in the paddy fields "sharing" the woes of farmers and promising that he would give them the highest possible support price to paddy.

It's a different matter that Chandrababu Naidu did not pay attention to paddy or any agricultural crop when he was in power for about nine long years. Now that he is in the Opposition, he has realised that agriculture is not a wasteful excercise and helping or pretending to help farmers will fetch votes. It's a key to power and Chandrababu Naidu has realised a bit earlier.