Parties banking on cine glamour

CELLULOID WRAPPING

Mahesh Babu, Balakrishna and Pawan Kalyan are the `unofficial' brand ambassadors for the Congress, the TDP-led Grand Alliance and the PRP respectively

VV Balakrishna I ENS
Hyderabad, January 18

TOP Telugu cine heroes -- Pawan Kalyan, Balakrishna and Mahesh Babu -- are the new brand ambassadors for three political parties in the next Assembly elections, a first triangular fight in the State's politics.
Despite their tall claims that the Grand Alliance and the development mantra would fetch votes by the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the ruling
Congress respectively, they are invariably banking on cine glamour, giving doubts over their assertions. Even the cine hero Chiranjeevi-led Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), which is going to the people with a clean image promising to bring a change in the State, is not exceptional in this regard. Chiranjeevi's brother Pawan Kalyan is believed to be Mr Dependable for the PRP to fetch youth's votes.
The three top heroes from Tollywood are believed to be the `brand ambassadors' for their respective parties, though the parties do not officially claim so.
When the top brains of four parties -- the TDP, the TRS, the CPM and the CPI -- met at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu's residence recently, there was a comment from observers: ``All the four parties should depend on Balaiah to promote the Grand Alliance.'' Proving this to be true, TDP chief Naidu appraised Balaiah on the formation of the Grand Alliance the same day.
Balaiah is scheduled to kick-start his tour on January 29 from Hindupur. In the same way, superstar Krishna's son Mahesh Babu is likely to campaign for the Congress. It seems that the Congress' efforts to rope in Mahesh Babu were fruitful, as Mahesh's uncle Adiseshagiri Rao recently confirmed that the young hero would campaign for the ruling party. However, Mahesh Babu will confine himself to a couple of meetings and not devote much time for the campaigning.Pawan Kalyan too has decided to conduct padayatras from Karimnagar district and continue his campaign till the end of the elections. Apart from these three stars, actresses Vijayasanti, Roja, Jeevitha and Kavitha and veteran heroes like Harikrishna too act as promoters for their respective parties. NTR Jr, Taraka Ratna, Kalyanram, Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam, Vijaychender, Rajasekhar and others too will hit the roads to seek votes.

'BLOOD'Y WAR IN THE OFFING?

NTR Trust's blood bank to steal a march over Chiru's
Set to become first NGO to get NABH accreditation

VV Balakrishna I ENS
Hyderabad, January 18
THE Telugu Desam is all set to steal a march over Praja Rajyam in getting recognition of its service activities. The blood bank run by NTR Memorial Trust, of which TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is the managing trustee, is all set to get the accreditation of National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Helathcare Providers (NABH).
All the documentation has been completed and the blood bank will get NABH accreditation in February, NTR Memorial Trust chief executive officer P Raghu Rama Rao has told Express.
``NTR Memorial Trust will be the first NGO to get NABH accreditation,'' Rama Rao claims. The trust is running NTR Virtual Blood Bank at Jubilee Hills here. If the NTR Virtual Blood Bank gets the NABH accreditation, it will be the first blood bank run by any NGO to secure such a recognition.
NABH is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India. It evaluates quality parametres, collection and processing of blood and the qualification of the staff employed by the blood bank.
NTR Trust's blood bank has already got ISO certification, the first blood bank in the State. The blood bank provides blood free of cost to the poor and collects a nominal fee from others. Of the total blood provided by the bank so far, 25 per cent has been supplied to cancer patients. TDP workers have so far donated 30,000 units of blood in the 10 years since they started the service.PRP leaders claim that Chiranjeevi's blood bank and other social service activities provided him the credentials to enter politics and public life. The Shiv Sena of Maharashtra is the only other party in the country whose workers donate blood at regular intervals.NTR Memorial Trust trustee D Seetharamaiah claims that the blood supplied by his trust costs much less than that supplied by the Chiranjeevi blood bank.

'BLOOD'Y WAR IN THE OFFING?

NTR Trust's blood bank to steal a march over Chiru's
Set to become first NGO to get NABH accreditation
VV Balakrishna I ENS
Express News Service
Hyderabad, January 18
THE Telugu Desam is all set to steal a march over Praja Rajyam in getting recognition of its service activities. The blood bank run by NTR Memorial Trust, of which TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is the managing trustee, is all set to get the accreditation of National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Helathcare Providers (NABH).
All the documentation has been completed and the blood bank will get NABH accreditation in February, NTR Memorial Trust chief executive officer P Raghu Rama Rao has told Express.
``NTR Memorial Trust will be the first NGO to get NABH accreditation,'' Rama Rao claims. The trust is running NTR Virtual Blood Bank at Jubilee Hills here. If the NTR Virtual Blood Bank gets the NABH accreditation, it will be the first blood bank run by any NGO to secure such a recognition.
NABH is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India. It evaluates quality parametres, collection and processing of blood and the qualification of the staff employed by the blood bank.
NTR Trust's blood bank has already got ISO certification, the first blood bank in the State. The blood bank provides blood free of cost to the poor and collects a nominal fee from others. Of the total blood provided by the bank so far, 25 per cent has been supplied to cancer patients. TDP workers have so far donated 30,000 units of blood in the 10 years since they started the service.PRP leaders claim that Chiranjeevi's blood bank and other social service activities provided him the credentials to enter politics and public life. The Shiv Sena of Maharashtra is the only other party in the country whose workers donate blood at regular intervals.NTR Memorial Trust trustee D Seetharamaiah claims that the blood supplied by his trust costs much less than that supplied by the Chiranjeevi blood bank.

Grand Alliance takes shape

TRIANGULAR FIGHT IN STATE POLLS
TDP, TRS, CPI, CPM to make public announcement on Jan 21
VV Balakrishna I ENS
Hyderabad, January 15
`Grand Alliance' has finally taken shape in State politics with the sole aim of defeating the Congress in the next elections. The TDP, TRS, CPM and CPI are part of the alliance.
Leaders of the four parties today formally decided to work together in the elections. A public announcement on the alliance will, however, be made at the TRS office here on Jan 21 when TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao will start a `viswa santi yagam'. Leaders of all the four parties will take part in the inaugural function where they will announce formation of the `grand alliance'.
The leaders felt that the new formation was the only `eligible and viable alternative' to the Congress in the State. ``No other front (read PRP front) would be able to dislodge the Congress,'' a Left leader said.
Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu hosted lunch for Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, CPM State secretary BV Raghavulu and CPI State secretay K Narayana and national leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy.
The four-hour-long meeting decided to forge an alliance, ending the suspense over which front the TRS would join. According to sources, the leaders felt that that the `Grand Alliance' would make the Praja Rajayam party (PRP) a `small player' in the State politics and that the main fight would be between the grand alliance and the Congress.
The leaders decided to hold agitational programmes jointly against the `corrupt' Congress. For this they constituted a committee to look into various pressing issues and chalk out an action plan. K Rammohan Rao (TDP), Y Venkateswara Rao (CPM), K Narayana (CPI) and Jagadeswar Reddy (TRS) are the members of the committee. The top leaders of the four parties will meet again on Jan 18. The grand alliance is likely to hold a joint public meeting in Telangana in February. The date and venue of the meeting will be finalised after Jan 21.
``We (four parties) have decided to work together in the next election. Our aim is to dethrone the Congress in the State,'' Chandrasekhar Rao declared. He said the formation of the alliance would be announced at his party office between 10 am and 11 am on Jan 21.
Asked whether the four parties would be able to bring out a common manifesto, Naidu said: ``We will let you know all the details on Jan 21.''
Raghavulu hoped that there would be a straight fight between the Congress and the new front. ``Only our alliance would be able to defeat the Congress in the State,'' he remarked.
Speaking to reporters later, the four leaders charged Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy with `scams and corruption'.

Parties vie to woo voters

VV Balakrishna I ENS

HYDERABAD: First Published : 09 Jan 2009 08:00:00 AM

POLITICAL parties seems to be vying with each other to woo the voters with freebies. After Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president Chiranjeevi announced the `Rs 100 package’ to supply rice and other essentials to white card-holders, it is now the turn of the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to say that it would give the same package for less than Rs 100.
According to TDP sources, the party was seriously examining the package announced by the PRP and it would be discussed in its next manifesto committee meeting scheduled to be held on January 24.
“We have already announced that 25 kg of rice will be supplied free of cost to white cardholders.
If we include tamarind, redgram, edible oil in the list it will come for less than Rs 100,’’ a TDP leader asserted.
It may be recalled that the Congress Government preempted the TDP’s plans to announce Rs-2-a-kg rice scheme. After the State Government revived the scheme recently, the TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu announced that the rice would supplied free of cost. Now, that the PRP announced an attractive package, the TDP was planning to come out with much more attractive package with lesser price.
Already, the TDP gave more than 200 promises including free power to tillers during day time and 100 Assembly tickets to BCs. The Congress on the other hand too announced several sops.

Seat next to Naidu's jinxed?

VV Balakrishna I ENS
Hyderabad, January 1:
THE seat next to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu's in the State Assembly has once again brought `bad luck' to the party.
After the TDP was dethroned from power in the 2004 elections, T Devender Goud, home minister in Naidu's cabinet, used to sit next to him in the Opposition benches. For almost four years, they sat side by side. Goud, who was deputy floor leader of the party, quit the TDP and floated his own Nava Telangana Party.
After Goud's exit, there was a tussle among TDP MLAs to occupy the seat next to Naidu's. Several seniors vied with one another for the privilege.
After much discussion, Naidu decided to elevate senior leader Kala Venakta Rao as deputy floor leader. No sooner did Rao occupy the seat than rumours went round the Assembly lobbies that he too would quit the party.
TDP leaders laughed it off saying that Venkata Rao was more loyal to the party. Venkata Rao, known as sober and softspoken, sprang a surprise today by quitting the party. And the seat next to Naidu's in the Assembly continues to remain `jinxed'.

Chandrasekhara Rao all set to join TDP-Left combine

VV Balakrishna
First Published : 04 Jan 2009 10:41:00 AM IST

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has almost decided to sail with the TDPLeft combine in the next elections.
It is expected to make an official announcement before the first week of February.
‘‘The TRS will make its stand public at an appropriate time, leaving no chance for the enemy (read Congress) to undertake any damage control exercise,’’ party sources said.
The pink party believes that the ‘grand alliance’ of TDP-CPI-CPM-TRS would sweep the entire Telangana region in the ensuing elections. The parties are likely to hold a joint meeting in the region in February first week for which, besides leaders of the respective parties, those from other States like Jayalalithaa are expected to attend. According to TRS sources, the meeting could be held at Bhongir in Nalgonda district.
Until an official announcement has been made on TRS joining the Left-TDP combine, the separatist party would work with them on various issues.
The party leaders will be part of a delegation led by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to President Pratibha Patil. The delegation will submit a memorandum to the President on Big Fish scam in the fisheries department.
The TRS will also participate in a protest to be staged by the Left-TDP combine on the scam. The programme will be organised before Sankranti, according to TRS sources. TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao had participated in a dharna along with Naidu and Left leaders against petro prices recently.
The TRS leadership oscillated between Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) and the TDP before finally deciding to go along with Left-TDP combine. This was because, the TRS chief felt the initial popularity of PRP created by Chiranjeevi was slowly waning in the State. ‘‘PRP has no strong leaders to its credit in Telangana, especially in districts like Adilabad and Warangal, even after the launch of the party four months ago,’’ the TRS leadership observed and pointed out, ‘‘PRP did not gain even in Andhra, except in five districts.’’ Moreover, the PRP is dominated by members of the Chiranjeevi family, noted TRS leaders.