Senior Congress leader from Andhra Pradesh, G Venkataswamy, who created a flutter by demanding Congress President Sonia Gandhi's resignation as party president, on Wednesday said he is ready to withdraw all his comments.
Though the terms of reference of the committee to look into the creation of a Telangana state may come in the next few days, the Congress is worried about the 'political' price it may have to pay for moving too fast on the statehood issue.
Take the case of Sudarshan Reddy, irrigation minister in the Andhra Pradesh government. He hails from the Bodan constituency in Nizamabad district and was supposed to return to his home constituency on Saturday. However, he advised against it due to the protests outside his house.
Rebel Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member from Kadapa YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday declared that the Andhra Pradesh government's days were numbered. Jagan's 48-hour hunger strike in Vijaywada for the calamity-stricken has received support from over a lakh people and 20 Congress legislators. He told his supporters that they should be ready for a longer battle to ensure justice to the farmers, weavers and other weaker sections of the state.
Cine actress and Telangana Rashtra Samithi MP M Vijaya Shanthi on Thursday joined Congress at a time when the possibility of TRS merging with Congress seemed to have hit a roadblock.
Renowned Telangana folk singer and balladeer Gaddar, who was popularly known for his revolutionary songs during the 1980s and later during the Telangana statehood agitation, passed away in Hyderabad on Sunday due to ill-health. He was 77.
Modi told Times Now that the responsibility to take action in the raging matter lay with the state government as it was a law and order issue, according to the transcript of the interview provided by the broadcaster.
The Congress is trying to devise a political strategy to capitalise on the ongoing agitation in Andhra Pradesh, for a separate Telengana state, and defuse the pressure on the state government regarding the issue.Congress president Sonia Gandhi reportedly spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the revival of the Committee on Telengana, which was constituted during the United Progressive Alliance's first term but was subsequently abandoned.
Apart from Kerala, in no state did the Grand Old Party scored in double digits.
Fighting the Congress in the family pocket-borough of Kadapa in prestigious by-elections, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday ruled out going back to the party, saying he cannot "throw his core values" for the sake of "power and position".
The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of Pocharam in March this year. He had quit his assembly membership as well as the Telugu Desam Party on the statehood issue and joined the TRS.
Two Congress members of Legislative Assembly -- Konda Surekha and Kunja Sathyavathi on Tuesday submitted their resignations from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly demanding creation of Telangana state.
The Congress is trying to persuade former Andhra Pradesh governor N D Tiwari to take voluntary retirement from politics in the wake of his involvement in an alleged sex scandal.
"What is the hurry," Modi said, while referring to Gandhi's hand gestures when he came across to PM's chair.
The fledgling Praja Rajyam Party headed by actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi on Friday accused the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh of resorting to "dirty tricks" and tapping the telephones of some its top leaders.
Sources said the minister of state for power has resigned from the Union council of ministers to contest the elections. Ramesh is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh
As the son of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy, Jaganmohan Reddy enjoyed tremendous clout in the state and a good amount of respect in New Delhi. But only nine months after his father's sudden demise, young MP from Kadapa is fast becoming a man with no friends.
Dealing a severe blow to the main opposition Congress in Andhra Pradesh ahead of elections, senior party leader and former home minister M V Mysoora Reddy on Wednesday joined the Telugu Desam Party.
In switching over, Nitish has sent out a message that if he could not now become the NDA's PM, then he would need to stay on as CM at the very least, which a third term for Modi would not let him have, N Sathiya Moorthy points out.
Stepping up its attack on actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh today said the Praja Rajyam president is asking for a chance for his party out of lust for power.
Ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee meeting likely to be held in New Delhi on July 28regarding the Telangana issue, MLAs from the Seema-Andhra region have stepped up pressure not to bifurcate the state.
The arrest of YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy has sent shockwaves through the Congress, with most senior leaders dubbing it as a suicidal move, and which has the potential of finishing off the party in Andhra Pradesh.
The power struggle in Andhra Pradesh Congress after the death of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy took an ugly turn on Sunday when the supporters of YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy disrupted the party's condolence meeting.
State police, however, denied there was any breach of security but said one Congress worker has been apprehended in this connection, while three other party workers were arrested for trying to enter the airport with black balloons.
Jopalli Krishna Rao, Dr Rajaiah and S Sathyanarayana tendered their resignations to Andhra Pradesh Congress chief B Sathyanarayana.
Days after he resigned as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Kiran Kumar Reddy is all set to announce the formation of his new party at a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday at 4 pm.
The Congress party in Andhra Pradesh seems all set to unleash two aces to counter actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi's juggernaut.
He laid stress on workers' connection with the ground and cited his own example when he was party in-charge for various assembly elections in the past.
What some of our leaders were up to on Tuesday, October 18.
Whether the Congress takes a decision for or against a Telangana state, its strongest bastion Andhra Pradesh weakens. Sheela Bhatt looks at the tough choices before the party.
Party leaders list three clear positive outcomes -- an activated Congress which has hit the ground running leaving the past inertia behind, an interactive top brass which is directly engaging the people, and a mobilised organisation which was dormant for many years.
It is early to make out which way the wind is blowing, but there is no denying that challenges for the BJP, far outweigh the advantages in this region, notes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the BJP is looking to fill the Opposition slot and not aspire to occupy pole position.
Seems like there is a battle for supremacy on in Andhra Pradesh. During the past couple of days, there have been reports which suggest that Kadapa member of Parliament YS Jaganmohan Reddy is slowly losing his clout and most of his loyalists are trying to make a return to their 'mother' party.
As the state observes the death anniversary of YSR (as he is popularly called) on Thursday, the road ahead for the Congress appears to be bumpy.
According to insiders, their lack of enthusiasm is showing on the ground. There is nothing to suggest that their enthusiasm will return in the final four phases of polling, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy has been named in the charge-sheet of the Central Bureau of Investigation's chargesheet against Jagan Mohan Reddy in the disproportionate assets case against the YSR Congress chief.
In nearly 100 seats, the BJP stands almost no chance of winning. In 200 seats, it is a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress where the BJP has an upper hand. In 243 seats, the BJP is pitted against regional parties and it is not going to be easy. That is why 400 seats may end up as a pipe dream, states Ramesh Menon, author of Modi Demystified: The Making of a Prime Minister.
