TDP to use K’taka Cong report to expose OMC

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam plans to use the material prepared by its arch-rival, the Congress, to expose `illegal mining’ by the company owned by Karnataka Minister and BJP leader Gali Janardhan Reddy.


A TDP delegation, which will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh soon, will present a booklet brought out by the Karnakata Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on `illegal mining activities’ of Gali Janardhan Reddy.

KPCC’s `fact-finding’ report was published last year and the TDP is quoting from the book in support of its allegations against Janardhan Reddy, who is the Tourism Minister in the BJP Government in Karnataka.

Speaking to reporters here today, TDP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy said that they would soon meet Chief Minister K Rosaiah and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding immediate halt to the mining activity in Andhra Pradesh by the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) owned by Gali Janardhan Reddy. ``We will also present the KPCC report to the prime minister,’’ the TDP leader said.

Reddy said that his party had been fighting against the illegal mining by Gal i Janardhan Reddy for the last four years but the State Government issued notices only yesterday. ``Mere issuance of notices is not sufficient, the State Government should stop all the mining activities of OMC,’’ he demanded. He also urged the State Government to arrest the directorgeneral of mining for lending support to the illegal mining.

The TDP leader said that an expert committee should be constituted to fix the boundaries of OMC. He alleged that government’s advisor KVP Ramachandra Rao and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy abetted the illegal mining.

When the BJP leader was resorting to illegal activities, the Congress government supported him, he alleged.

Another TDP leader S Venugopala Chary demanded that the State Government impose a heavy penalty on Gali Janardhan Reddy and collect sales tax from him.

NTR Junior wows public at road shows

VIZIANAGARAM: Huge turnout at the public meetings and road shows of Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) star campaigner NTR Junior rejuvenated the spirit of the party. On the second day too, thousands of people, particularly women, in the district attended NTR’s Chaitanya Yatra.

Polishing his campaign style and speech, the young star raised several local issues and asked the locals to compare the people’s welfare-oriented regime of the TDP with the highly-corrupt rule of the Congress Government.

The crowds applauded when he pointed out the corruption charges against the Congress leaders. At every junction, he was mobbed by admirers whom he obliged by addressing them in his charismatic style.

Addressing mammoth crowds at various junctions in the district, he cautioned the voters that if the Congress came to power again, it would impose more taxes on the common man.

However, if the TDP was voted to power, people could lead a hassle-free life, he assured.

Be it leaders of the 123-year-old Congress or the recently launched Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), they were all `pucca’ cheaters, the TDP’s star campaigner remarked, adding that their solo aim was to usurp people’s wealth.

NTR Jr pointed out that while the TDP Government had estimated the Peddagedda project at Pachipenta mandal in the district to cost Rs 38 crore, the corrupt Congress Government had increased its cost to Rs 80 crore due to vested interests. The Congress leaders gobbled up money through contractors, he alleged.

NTR Jr’s yatra covered Cheepurupalli, Garjam, Billalavalasa, Jinnam, Gurla, Nellimarla and entered into Vizianagaram town. Touring a distance of 60 km, the TDP’s star campaigner covered nearly 10 mandals of Vizianagaram, Cheepurupalli, Gajapathinagaram and Nellimarla Assembly segments on the second day of his Chaitanya Yatra.

TDP politburo member P Ashok Gajapathi Raju accompanied NTR Jr.

Junior NTR takes on ‘corrupt’ YSR

SRIKAKULAM: NTR Junior, on the second day of his campaign, asked the people to decide whether they want to support 123- year-old, fragile, corrupt Congress or 27-year-old, energetic and people-friendly TDP.

In his short but crisp addresses at various places, NTR Jr targeted the Congress government and its `corrupt practices’ focusing mainly on Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

In an obvious reference to Rajasekhara Reddy’s Padayatra before the 2004 general elections, NTR junior alleged Rajasekhara Reddy had undertaken the padayatra not to understand the problems of rural people but to survey the land available with the farmers.

Later, he had gifted the farmers’ land to his cronies in the name of SEZs.

Ridiculing the so-called welfare schemes of the Congress government, NTR Junior alleged that 90 per cent of the benefits were going to the Congressmen.

Stating that NTR had launched the TDP to overthrow the then corrupt Congress government, NTR Junior, with his gestures and body language reminding the Senior, said the people should rally behind the TDP-led Mahakutami once again to unseat the Congress.

He toured Pathapatnam, Narsannapeta and Tekkali Assembly constituencies on Friday covering 13 mandals.

NTR Jr plays the senior

ITCHAPURAM: The TDP’s trump card, actor NTR Jr, kicked off his campaign from Itchapuram on the northern most tip of the protruding arm of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, delivering punches on the face of the Congress and calling upon people to protect “political power in the State” from the Congress.

He said: “Fruits of development should reach people. But under the present dispensation, the Congressmen have looted them, leaving nothing for you.” The State was far from being a Rythu Rajyam as the Congress claimed, he said and asked, “why should 6,000 farmers commit suicide, if what Congressmen say is true?” He praised TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu for giving a vision to the State. “Every one had said that the end had begun for the TDP after NTR’s demise. But Chandrababu Naidu proved them wrong by not only protecting, but also strengthening it further,” he said.

The film actor spent considerable time recalling the services of his grandfather like introduction of Rs 2-a-kg rice scheme and conferring property rights on women. He started his campaign from this obscure town since it was from here that the late NTR had begun his campaign and created history way back in 1982.

He began his journey southwards at a time when his uncle and actor Balakrishna is journeying northwards from the southern most tip of the State - Tada in Nellore district.

NTR Jr, who has a considerable following among the youth, brought them outdoors with his magnetic personality and as he addressed them at whistle-stop meetings on his chaitanya ratham, they went crazy. Dressed in khaki, he reached here by a chopper and got cracking after offering prayers to Goddess Swetchavati.

As he spoke, his fans rained flowers on him which were specially bought from Kadiyapulanka of East Godavari district. He visited 20 villages on the first day. However, police played spoilsport at one place, booking him and TDP leader Yerran Naidu for conducting a roadshow without permission.

NTR Junior has Congress, PRP in a spin

SRIKAKULAM: With the young Nandamuri scion, NTR Jr, completing a hugely successful tour of Srikakulam and now all set to roll out in Vizianagaram Sunday, both the Congress and the Praja Rajyam Party are in a spin.

And needless to say, the Telugu Desam is breathing much easier, after being winded by the blow from Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi whose recent Praja Ankita Yatra saw several yellow leaders leave the party.

The party, however, is leaving nothing to chance and everyone, right from high command elements and NTR Jr’s personal staff down to the cadres is working hard to make the Chaitanya Yatra another grand success.

And the young man has what it takes to work the masses -- body language, simplicity of speech, and focus on Congress corruption without direct digs against the Praja Rajyam or its honcho.

The turn of events has brought smiles to the face of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu who, appearing on a live programme on a private TV channel complimented NTR Jr.

Earlier, during the final day of his roadshow in Srikakulam, NTR Junior deplored the Congress’ lack of propriety in not honouring senior leader and former prime minister, the late PV Narasimha Rao, by naming any major project in the State after him, if not the international airport.

Addressing the gathering from his “chariot”, NTR Jr declaimed: “Congress means corruption, and corruption means Congress. Without bribes no work can be done in the State. The time has now come to change all that -- and the voters can do so by returning the TDP.” Making an indirect reference to PRP chief Chiranjeevi, the 25-year-old dude in khaki said that the TDP had already proved “social justice” by uplifting various communities and leaders in the state.

He cited K Yerrannaidu and K Pratibha Bharathi from the district among those who had benefited from the TDP’s social justice.