New Year Greetings

Rumors: PJR's Properties In Question Mark

PJR's demise left many question marks behind. He has huge properties at various places but his son and wife are not informed about them. As PJR never anticipated any such risk to his life at this age, he didn't make arrangements to let his family know about all of his properties.

Whatever is visible before of the eyes of family members is the only property that is known for them. They have to see if they get any information from the close friends of PJR about his investments and properties. It is said that PJR kept many properties in the name of others and now it is a big question mark if they open their mouths or simply keep quiet. However, it is now a big task ahead for PJR's son Vishnu.

He has to carry the legacy of his father and the loyalty of the people who had put faith on him.

Desam may not contest in Khairatabad bypoll

Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu is in two minds on whether he has to field a candidate in Khairatabad Assembly constituency, which would go to polls sooner or later following the death of its sitting MLA P Janardhan Reddy.

Naidu knows that it would be a futile exercise to field a candidate in Khairatabad at this juncture, because PJR has a huge support base in this constituency and his death has resulted in a lot of sympathy wave for his family. So, if the ticket is given to any of the members of PJR family, he or she would easily win the elections. Moreover, the term of the elected candidate would hardly be a few months and there is every possibility that elections to the Assembly could be advanced by six months. Thus, it would be waste of money and resources to contest the polls, a section of the TD is arguing.

At the same time, Naidu cannot ignore the argument that if the TD would not contest the byelections, it would demoralize the party cadres and have a negative impact on the party prospects in the forthcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections. So, even if it does not win, the party should contest the byelections and retain its identity in the constituency. Who knows even staunch supporters of PJR might not prefer his son Vishnu, if the latter is given the ticket, some TD leaders argue.

Anyway, Khairatabad is not going to be the same constituency again. It is going to be divided with Kukatpally and Alwal as separate constituencies. In such a case, the TD would better keep away from the byelections and focus on strengthening its base in the revised Constituencies, sources say.

Behind The Scene: PJR's death a shock to Chiru?

There have been unconfirmed reports that film star Chiranjeevi was in secret confabulations with Khairatabad legislator P Janardhan Reddy over launch of a new political outfit. Chiranjeevi fully knows that without the support of Janardhan Reddy it was quite a difficult task to launch a political party and survive in Hyderabad. But unfortunately, Janardhan Reddy breathed his last all of a sudden keeping everyone high and dry. Sources point out that Chiranjeevi was badly hit by the death of Janardhan Reddy.

PJR, as he was fondly called, had a mass following in Hyderabad and parts of Telangana. He was a well known labour unionist and lakhs of poor people were solidly behind him. Chiranjeevi reportedly was advised to take the support of Janardhan Reddy as the film star will not only lose the image of a "Kapu leader" but also get the support base of BCs, STs, SCs, minorities and the have-nots. Though Janardhan Reddy hailed from a upper caste, he was famous with the poor and underprivileged.

Chiranjeevi has been receiving a blow after blow because he is passing through a bad astrological phase. Let's hope and pray that the film star will get a new phase of life in the New Year.