Seeking to put its house in order in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress on Monday appointed senior state minister Botsa Satyanarayana as Pradesh Congress Committee president.
Controversy is not new to Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister and state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana. Botsa, who has been in the eye of the storm on earlier occasions for alleged mafia activities, does not seem to shy away from courting controversies. Now, he is accused of abusing his official position for the wedding of his daughter Anusha, a medico, in his native Vizianagaram on Friday night
New Andha Pradesh Congress Committee president and state's transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana, whose appointment has created a stir in the party, has said that there was nothing wrong if Andhra Pradesh was divided into two to fulfil the demand of Telangana people for statehood.
Andhra Pradesh ministers, incensed with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, are now seeking to prop up Union Minister of State for Tourism K Chiranjeevi as the Congress' chief ministerial candidate in the 2014 elections, sources said.
Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi and former Union minister Renuka Choudary on Monday filed their nominations on behalf of the ruling Congress for the biennial elections to Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh. Former state minister Palvai Govardhan Reddy and former journalist Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar too filed their papers as Congress nominees on the last day of the nomination process.
Union minister Manish Tewari on Saturday appealed to the leaders in Andhra Pradesh to "observe forbearance" till the Congress high command was going to come out with a decision on the Telangana issue soon. The statement from Tewari came as state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana left for New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the Telangana statehood issue with the party high command.
The Congress in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday took serious exception to the comments of MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi that the ruling party has become 'communal' and allowed Sangh Parivar activists to have a 'free run'.
The second day of the 72-hour-long Seemandhra strike against Telangana state turned out to be more violent and tense as the police had to resort to firing in the air and use of tear gas shells and batons at many places.
The Congress in Andhra Pradesh on Monday decided to appoint a fact-finding committee to go into the party's poor performance in the recent by-polls.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday criticised the YSR Congress party chief and Kadapa Member of Parliament Y S Jaganmohan Reddy by calling him an "opportunist". Speaking at a function in Guntur, the chief minister, who was joined by state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana in the attack against Jagan, alleged that the Kadapa MP had amassed wealth by misusing the powers of his late father and former AP chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
In the backdrop of the Delhi gang-rape case, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee President Botsa Satyanarayana on Monday stirred a controversy by questioning the need for women to roam in streets at midnight.
It was supposed to be a momentous day for the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh with formalities related to the merger of Praja Rajyam Party getting completed on Monday.
The Andhra Pradesh government, on Sunday, asked the villagers living on the banks of river Krishna to vacate their villages as the area is expected to face critical flood situation following the release of water in the river.
The ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress described it as the 'social cabinet', with 70 per cent representation to the BC, SC, ST and minority communities.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Digvijaya Singh will preside over a meeting of the Congress Coordination Panel with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday evening.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday discussed the strategy to be adopted in the monsoon session of the Parliament on issues such as Telangana and proposed amendments in the Right to Information Act.
The incumbent ministers put in their papers at the meeting of the cabinet, which was their last, at the secretariat in Amaravati.
Even as the Union Cabinet on Thursday took up the note on Telangana state for discussion, the Seemandhra leaders fighting to keep the state united, met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to discuss their counter strategy.
The incident occurred around 5:10 am when the Hyderabad-bound bus from Bangalore hit against a culvert, breaking its diesel tank. Within few minutes the bus was reduced to cinders, police said.
A day after 16 YSR Congress MLAs and one from Congress announced resignations in support of united Andhra Pradesh, two more ruling party legislators from non-Telangana regions today said they would also quit as the central leadership moves towards a decision on statehood.
A decision on the vexed issue of Telangana is expected before Monsoon session of Parliament which is likely to start after August 15.
A decision on the sensitive and much-delayed Telangana issue may soon come from the Centre, the Congress indicated on Monday.
Soon after the above government order was released, the Opposition strongly condemned the move.
The issue of resignation by Congress MPs from Seemandhra continues to hang fire. Their meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, which was scheduled for Tuesday, has been delayed further.
The Congress appears to be veering round to taking a call on the contentious Telangana statehood issue with party leader in charge of Andhra Pradesh saying consultation process is over and time for a decision has come.
With the Congress all set to accept the long-pending demand for a separate state of Telangana, the matter is slated for discussion at the party's working committee meeting to be convened before the monsoon session commences on August 5
Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan on Sunday evening accepted the resignations submitted by the 24 ministers, a Raj Bhavan communique said.
The 26-member Cabinet, including the Chief Minister, has three women members; two from the Scheduled Castes and one from the Scheduled Tribes.
Doctors, who monitored Jagan's health condition said that the ketones in his body have risen which may lead to kidney-related problems.
With the Congress top brass in New Delhi likely to take a final call on Friday on the vexed Telangana issue, the development has sparked a flurry of activities in the Andhra Pradesh capital.
With the Congress leadership reportedly inching towards a favourable decision on Telangana statehood demand, a party member of Legislative Assembly and several YSR Congress legislators from non-Telangana regions on Thursday said they have "resigned" in support of united Andhra Pradesh.
Defending its three-capital decision, the government said since inception in 1956 the state had failed to integrate people from all regions, reports B Dasarath Reddy.
Ahead of the crucial Congress meeting on Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kirankumar Reddy on Friday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and briefed her about the political situation in the state.
By announcing Telangana, the Congress aims to kill two birds with one stone.
The strike by power sector employees has crippled life, badly hitting hospitals and water supply in Andhra Pradesh.
Rao's death triggered a political slugfest in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh with the Telugu Desam Party holding the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government there responsible for the veteran leader's suspected suicide.
The United Progressive Alliance coordination committee will meet on July 31 to finalise its stand on the vexed Telangana issue amid indications from Congress that carving out a separate state out of Andhra Pradesh is a foregone conclusion and that complexities involved in the process will be adequately addressed.
As the Congress and United Progressive Alliance government appear to be veering towards formation of a separate Telangana state, ministers and MPs from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday opposing any division of Andhra Pradesh.