`3 Cong MPs facing criminal charges

The AP unit of the National Election Watch Committee on Monday claimed that three Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha have criminal
charges pending against them.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, the watchdog committee members identified the three as Sarve Satyanarayana, G V Harsha Kumar and D Vittal Rao. All the three happen to be sitting MPs. The fact came to light after the panel filed applications under the RTI Act with the concerned police authorities in the state, the members said. The three MPs are contesting from the Malkajgiri, Amalapuram and Mahbubnagar constituencies respectively.

Releasing the data, the committee pointed out that of the 135 sitting MLAs who have got Congress tickets, 20 are facing serious criminal charges. The charges range from criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery to assaulting a public servant on duty.

Many of these political leaders are also believed to be facing criminal charges relating to poll code violation. Chief minister Y S Rajasekhera Reddy’s name features on this list along with many other Congress leaders.

The panel said it would release a similar list of candidates from other parties after the final lists are out.

As per the list, 10 of the 60 sitting MPs from the state and 60 of the 294 MLAs have various criminal charges pending against them. They include MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is contesting again from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, and PRP member T Devender Goud, who is expected to contest for an Assembly seat. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s name also shows up on the list with leaders facing criminal charges relating to poll code violation.

Appealing to the citizens to vote “intelligently”, members of the election watch committee said the data was compiled to, “publicly demand that political parties do not field candidates against whom criminal charges have been filed.”

Notification issued for 154 Assembly constituencies in AP

Election authorities on Monday issued a notification to conduct polls in 154 Assembly constituencies in the North Coastal Andhra and Telangana regions during the first phase of the election.

The authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the filing of nominations by the candidates in these constituencies.

The first phase of the election will be held on April 16.

Over three crore electors will utilize their franchise in the first phase.

The Congress has already announced its candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha and 290 Assembly seats.

Meanwhile, negotiations are underway between the Telugu Desam Party, the Telangana Rashtra Samthi and Left parties for a seat-sharing arrangement in the state.

The BJP has already announced some candidates and the newly formed Praja Rajyam Party is giving final touches to its candidates lists. (ANI)

NTR Junior’s TDP campaign Takes Off With A Bang

NTR Junior’s TDP campaign takes off with a bang; he will address nearly 100 public meetings in his 40-day tour of 10 districts
Can he re-create the mesmerising magic that his legendary grandfather weaved so deftly decades ago? Will he turn out to be the “nextNTR” that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) so desperately needs?

While it remains to be seen whether his mass appeal will stand the test of time, he certainly carriesNTR’s name and clearly bears the sheen of the former matinee idol and politician’s reflected glory.Onhis first road show in Srikakulam district today, Nandamuri

Taraka Rama Rao, Junior, the grandson of NT RamaRao, did prove that he has plenty of punch in his own right too.

As he took to the road in Palasa constituency, braving the heat like a true hero, the 26-yearold actor was overwhelmed by the lakhs of people who turned out to cheer him on.Herecovered quickly and delivered some well-rehearsed punch lines that had the desired effect- the crowds went delirious.
His performance on day one, in fact, was reminiscent of the massively popular show that actor Chiranjeevi took out to promote his PrajaRajyam Party in coastal Andhra late last year.

NTR Junior has been roped in by the TDP to campaign in coastal Andhra, where he is extremely popular. Hewill address nearly 100 public meetings during his gruelling 40-day tour of 10 coastal districts.

Looking lean after weight-loss surgeries in the US, the young actor even wore khakis – a trend his grandfather had started after deciding to launch the TDP exactly 27 years ago on March 12, 1982.

He may not be able to emulate his grandfather’s charisma, oratory and commanding presence just yet, but NTR Junior made the right gestures and spoke with enough conviction to remind people of NTR Senior.

In 1982, after NTR formed the TDP, a mere call from the great actor from temple town Tirupathi to unite for the cause of Telugu pride catapulted him to power within a year and he became the chief minister on January 5, 1983. Telugu Movie News

NTRJunior doesn’t have any political dreams yet. But he reluctantly joined theNTRclan in supporting TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu to revive the fortunes of the party that his grandfather founded. After staying away from family meetings and thwarting Naidu’s dinner diplomacy, NTR Junior seems to have finally relented.

“Before starting his tour from Srikakulam, he took some tips from Naidu. I don’t know if the ice has really broken between them but Naidu and his nephew appeared comfortable. The confidence that Naidu expressed in him may have also inspired him,”

Srikakulam MP and Politburo member K Yerrannaidu said. Yerrannaidu, who accompaniedNTRJunior on the first day today, was himself very surprised at the response from people. “Lakhs of people waited under the hot sun for him,” he said. Knownfor his dancing skills that leave his heroines panting, NTR Junior, an accomplished Kuchipudi dancer, is the son of NTR’s son Harikrishna, a popular actor himself.Hestarted young in the Telugu film industry with his first film Bala Ramayanam in which he incidentally played the character of Lord Rama, a role that was made memorable by the original NTR and still has no equals. He has so far acted in 18 films and is one of the most popular among Tollywood’s young actors.