Political parties go hitech

VV Balakrishna

Express News Service

Hyderabad, December 25:
In the run up to the next elections, almost all the parties are weaving a ``web'' around voters. Several political parties have launched their own websites in the State in order to spread their message directly to voters and to catch tech-savvy young voters.
It was first the Telugu Desam Party which started its own website in the State. Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who was known as hitec Chief Minister, launched his party website. Perhaps, TDP was the only party which was updating the site on a daily basis. The video clippings of regular press briefings of party leaders were posted immediately. The party also had a net radio for NRIs.
If you log on ``www.telugudesam.org'', you will be exposed to a variety of party information including ring tones, caller tunes. TDP started to accept donations online. There were so many link sites which would throw information on TDP chief Naidu, party founder NTR and the party's relentless campaign against Babhali. The party also had a NRI site and another website for NTR Memorial Trust, through which the party is organising several welfare and medical services.
Lok Satta Party, which committed to cleanse the present corrupt and hereditary politics, was next to launch a website ``www.loksatta.org''. The website provides information on the `50 guarantees' promised by LSP president Jayaprakash Narayan. LSP is also accepting online donations and also wanted the netizens to post their comments.
The AP State Congress also launched its own website after D Srinivas took charge as PCC chief. If you click on ``www.apcongress.org'', AICC president Sonia Gandhi's photo welcomes you. The website provides information about the Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, PCC chief D Srinivas and the welfare measures taken up by the Congress Government in the State. Instructions to party leaders were also posted on a regular basis on the website.
The newly launched Nava Telangana Party (NTP) too is not lagging behind. One can read information about the Telangana culture, history and other details on the NTP's website ``www.navatelanganaprajaparty.com''. The party also provide Telangana songs, Telangana struggle and the irrigation potential in the region.
The CPM State wing too has a website ``www.cpimap.com'', but it was last updated in April 2004. The website had photos of CPM State secretary BV Raghavulu participating in the agitation against power tariff hike in the TDP regime. Though the party shook hands with TDP, the website provides little information.
Though Praja Rajyam Party founder and cine actor Chiranjeevi is attracting youths towards him, the party so far did not have a website. However, Pawan Kalyan today launched NRI wing of the party. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the State wing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too do not have websites.

vvbalakrishna@epmltd.com

Balaiah’s remarks cause ripples in TDP

VV Balakrishna 26 Dec 2008 04:04:00 AM IST
HYDERABAD: It is ‘star trouble’ in Telugu Desam Party. It seems heroes from NTR family are causing troubles to party Chief N Chandrababu Naidu.It was Balakrishna, the star campaigner for the party in the next elections, who created embarrassment to Naidu by saying that if people wanted him to become the chief minister, he would become one. This statement caused much discomfiture to TDP leaders.Notwithstanding Balaiah’s assertion, the TDP leaders maintained that Balakrishna was not that ambitious and recalled his statement at Yuva Garjana in Guntur that his aim was to see Naidu as the chief minister.Balakrishna might have talked of Chief Minister’s post only after he was grilled by reporters, they maintained.Speaking to reporters here Thursday, party leader E Dayakar Rao said that there was no doubt that Naidu would become the Chief Minister.Balakrishna too decided to campaign for the party only to make Naidu as Chief Minister.Interestingly, Balakrishna is not member of the TDP though he had been campaigning for the party since NTR launched the party.Taraka Ratna, another hero of NTR family, is also causing embarrassment to Naidu by repeatedly saying that Balakrishna should become the Chief Minister, if TDP was voted to power. However, he was calmed down by the family members. Tarak, later, amended his statement by saying that he only said that Balakrishna would be the future Chief Ministerial candidate and Naidu would be the next Chief Minister.Tarak, however, was creating troubles to party leadership. A realtor, who joined the party recently in Nizamabad district, invited Tarak to unveil NTR statue in Bodhan. The realtor was an aspirant of TDP ticket.However, his opponents, reportedly called up Naidu and informed him about the development. According to sources, Naidu asked Tarak not to unveil the statue and cancel his scheduled visit to Bodhan. Tarak assured Naidu that his tour would be limited to Ayyappa puja organised by the local leaders. Meanwhile, NTR Jr too caused some embarrassment to party leaders by skipping the Yuva Garjana meeting.Balakrishna may launch his campaign after Sankranti and tour the state for a month. NTR Jr too would campaign for the party before elections, a party leader said.
vvbalakrishna@epmltd.com

Rare happenings seen in 12th Assembly

VV Balakrishna
HYDERABAD: First Published : 23 Dec 2008 08:53:01 AM

For the first time, after the enactment of the Anti-defection Act in the Parliament, three members of the 12th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly have been disqualified by Speaker K R Suresh Reddy under the Act.

The Assembly has also witnessed some `rare happenings’.

Besides, disqualification of three TRS MLAs for defying party whip and supporting an independent candidate in the Legislative Council elections, the Assembly was witness to a majority of legislators resigning for various reasons. The Assembly also debated a no-trust motion against the Speaker for the first time. However, the no-trust motion moved by the TRS and TDP was defeated at a special session of the House. As far as legislators resignations are concerned, as many as 16 members of the Legislative Assembly belonging to TRS resigned paving way for the byelections.

The TRS members resigned at the directive from TRS leadership, which blamed the Congress for delay in carving out a separate Telangana state. TRS MLAs resigned and sought a fresh mandate only to expose the Congress. However, the TRS retained only seven out of 16 Assembly seats it held.

Meanwhile, several MLAs belonging to Congress, BJP and TDP resigned either to switch their loyalties to other parties or they were elected to the Lok Sabha.

Majority MLAs switching their loyalties was also a rarity in the present Assembly.

TDP deputy floor leader T Devender Goud (Medchel) submitted his resignation to float his own outfit Nava Telangana Party (NTP).

Congress MLA Gali Muddu Krishnama Naidu (Puttur) recently resigned to re-join the TDP. P Dorababu, a BJP MLA from Pithapuram, submitted his resignation on the floor of the House during the winter session of the Assembly to the Congress.

TDP MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao (Chodavaram) resigned and joined PRP.

Though SV Subbareddy and G Veerasiva Reddy were more loyal to the Congress party, the TDP wanted the Speaker to disqualify Veerasiva Reddy for violating party whip during the vote on no-trust motion against the Speaker. Vijayawada East MLA Vangaveeti Radhakrishna (Cong) crossed over to to PRP.

He, however, did not submit his resignation till date but quit the Congress party.

TDP MLA E Dayakar Rao (Wardhannapet) and Congress MLA K Indrakaran Reddy (Nirmal) resigned after they were elected for Lok Sabha in the byelections.

In the latest incident, six TRS rebel MLAs submitted resignations to avoid disqualification.

Speaker accepted their resignations and disqualified another three rebel TRS MLAs. With this the vacant seats in Assembly rose to 18.

Congress days are numbered: Balaiah

VV Balakrishna
NAGARJUNA NAGAR: First Published : 06 Nov 2008 09:09:00 AM
Nandamuri Balakrishna, son of TDP patriarch NT Rama Rao, who made a re-entry into TDP, called upon his fans to see that the TDP regain power in the State. ``The days of Congress are numbered in the State,’’ he roared at a massive Yuva Garjana rally here today.

Striking an emotional chord with his fans and TDP activists, Balakrishna aka Balaiah to his fans, said that he belonged to every caste.

R eproducing some puchy dialogues from his blockbusters, Balaiah enthralled the audience. He added local flavour to the speech by referring to local leaders like Palnati Brahmanaidu, Manchali and Alluri Sitaramaraju.

During his 25-minute speech, Balakrishna mainly focussed on Congress-bashing while sparing Chiraneevi and PRP. The first part of speech was devoted to praise showers on TDP-founder NTR. When NTR launched his party he never informed anyone nor invited anyone into the party, Balakrishna said in a oblique reference to Chiranjeevi’s efforts to woo leaders from other parties.

NTR was a he-man, Balaiah said while explaining the welfare schemes launched by his father. He also lauded the services of N Chandrababu Naidu as Chief Minister.

``While NTR brought recognition to Telugus worldwide, Naidu encouraged Telugus to prove their talent,’’ he said.

Naidu started several engineering colleges and developed infrastructure.

``Naidu’s nine-year rule was an ideal rule. Bring back TDP to power to serve you better,’’ Balakrishna exhorted his fans.

I n an vitrolic attack on YS Rajasekhara Reddy Government, Balaiah said that there were no communal clashes in TDP regime like in the present Congress rule. Farmers were suffering a lot due to non-avaialbility of fertilisers and lack of minimum support price for their produce.

Balakrishna’s speech was like mix of cinema and politics. After starting his speech with filmi dialogues showcashing his dialogue delivery skills, Balakrishan later swiched onto political mode. He even blamed the Congress for cheating its alliies after winning the elections in 2004. Congress dumped the parties with which it had forged alliances, he alleged.

U nemployment raised its head in Congress rule, he said and asked his partymen to teach a befitting lesson to the Congress in the next elections. He concluded his speech with `Jai TDP, Jai NTR and Jai chandrababu.’’
vvbalakrishna@epmltd.com

Yellow fever grips coast

VV Balakrishna
First Published : 06 Nov 2008 09:12:00 AM
NAGARJUNA NAGAR (Guntur Dt):

The Telugu Desam Party seems to be riding high again in Coastal Andhra.


That the bounce is back after a dispiriting four and a half years, was evident from the beaming faces of party leaders and cadres, for the turnout at the Yuva Garjana here far surpassed everyone’s expectations.

D eployed after almost 13 years, it looks as if the film glamour of the NTR clan will stand the party in good stead in the coming elections.

Balakrishna, Harikrishna, Kalyanram and Taraka Ratna attended the meeting, and their fans accounted for a large expanse of the yellow sea that the venue resembled.

Though the meeting was scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm, TDP activists and fans began pouring into Vijayawada and Guntur early in the morning itself. By 2:30 itself the 100-acre venue of the meeting was filled to capacity. The enthusiasm of the audience was undiminished all through -- right up to the close of the meeting at 7:30 pm and well after.

Especially lusty were the cheers for Balakrishna and party chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

“The meeting will go down in the annals of the political history of the State. It is not likely to be matched in future,’’ exulted Naidu.

The success of the meeting also sent a clear signal to the TDP that it had taken the right decision on statehood for Telangana issue, with the Yuva Garjana being the party’s first public meeting after it’s U-turn on T. Many TDP activists said they had no objection to a separate Telangana, as the development of Andhra too would accelerate after bifurcation.

Said an ebullient youth, Rajendra from Krishna district: “I never expected such a large crowd at a TDP meeting after Chiranjeevi’s launch. I am so thrilled at the response!’’ Ninety percent of the audience were aged between 18-35. As youth would play a key role in the next elections, this was a big morale booster, said an activist. The biggest attraction, undoubtedly, was Balakrishna with every punchline, often drawing on dialogues from his films, eliciting delirious cheers, especially: “Kanti chooputo Congress avineeti nirmulista’’.

“I saw on TV Chiranjeevi addressing meetings in Srikakulam. But the dialogue delivery of Balakrishna was simply superb. Balaiah is an asset to the TDP,’’ gushed Ramarao, a party worker from Attili.

Harikrishna too assured the crowd that the heroes from the NTR family would imbue in every household in the State the urge to vote out the Congress.

The speeches of Balakrishna and Naidu focused on Congress’ corruption.

The former did not make any reference to Chiranjeevi or Praja Rajyam, but the latter pooh-poohed the PRP’s slogan on bringing about a change in politics.

A fter Balakrishna completed his speech, senior TDP leaders on the dais vied with one another to congratulate him. And Chandrababu Naidu was seen flashing a smile time and again during the three-hour meeting.

vvbalakrishna@epmltd.com

Pawan Kalyan, Balakrishna calling the shots

VV Balakrishna 22 Dec 2008
HYDERABAD: ‘Power star’ Pawan Kalyan and ‘Yuva Ratna’ Nandamuri Balakrishna are calling the shots in their respective parties. Both the stars, who had enormous following in the tinsel world, are now proving themselves as ‘star managers’ for their parties.
Pawan Kalyan was instrumental in roping in Vijayawada East MLA V Radhakrishna to the party fold. He spoke to Radhakrishna and convinced him to join the party. Pawan Kalyan was made president of the youth wing of Praja Rajyam Party recently. He also got good response for his recent tours in Rangareddy and Hyderabad districts.

Meanwhile, Balakrishna is also proving to be a good star manager for Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
At a time the TDP was facing crisis, his entry into active politics boosted the morale of party cadres.
Balakrishna was instrumental in roping in two MLAs Gali Muddu Krishnama Naidu and K Lakshmi Naidu into party recently.
Balakrishna also prevailed upon party senior leader Ambika Krishna not to leave the party. He rang up several leaders, who were planning to quit TDP and join PRP. According to insiders, Balakrishna was meeting party leaders from various districts.
He is willing to meet leaders and people in East Godavari from December 28, where he will stay for some days for film shooting.
Pawan Kalyan with his modest behaviour was attracting youths and elders alike. Pawan did a lot of homework along with his friends in the cine field to search talented youths to form ‘Yuva Rajyam’.
Both the heros will remain ‘star campaigners’ for their parties in the next four months.
While Pawan Kalyan has decided to launch his campaign from Kondagattu in Karimnagar on December 26, the itinerary and style of campaign of Balakrishna has not been decided yet. However, party sources confirmed that Balakrishna may kickstart his campaign after Sankranti.
Balakrishna is willing to contest in the next elections.
However, Pawan Kalyan will remain as lead campaigner for PRP.