'Union Budgets are often used as political instruments and that was the intention of this government too.' 'But while the exercise has settled two fronts, it has left open several others and this has the potential to aggravate with time,' predicts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The rumblings of discontent in Telugu Desam Party have assumed serious proportions with another senior party leader revolting against party president N Chandrababu Naidu.
Independence Day was celebrated across states and Union territories on Thursday, as several chief ministers announced job schemes while some others vowed their support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Breaking his silence on the Telangana issue, Kadapa Member of Parliament Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday said he stands for a united Andhra Pradesh and alleged that the Telugu Desam Party and its chief N Chandrababu Naidu were responsible for the current situation in the state.
The Central Bureau of Investigation may question some top leaders from the Telegu Desam Party in connection with the Gali Janardhan Reddy illegal mining case.
'Is the Agniveer scheme or their post-retirement re-employment in paramilitary forces or in the state governments the BJP's answer to the crying need on the job front?' 'Or, even Finance Minister Sitharaman's one-year internship scheme in the public and private sector, is it a permanent solution, either?', asks N Sathiya Moorthy.
'I have serious doubts about the longevity of the NDA government and the longevity of the 18th Lok Sabha itself.'
Thirty two members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly of the Telugu Desam Party on Wednesday submitted their resignations to the deputy speaker, protesting the delay in the formation of Telangana state. The MLAs, led by Telangana TDP forum convenor E Dayakar Rao, reached the deputy speaker's office at around 5.30 pm and submitted their resignations. Earlier, they had discussed their strategy and plan of action at the party office in the assembly premises.
Members of Parliament from the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam have threatened to forcefully occupy the office of Telugu Desam Party inside Parliament house next week.
The opposition Telugu Desam party received another big jolt on Thursday with senior leader and former minister Tammineni Sitaram quitting its ranks and joining the Praja Rajyam party of film-star turned politician Chiranjeevi.
Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday challenged at the YSR Congress President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy asking him to prove his might by parading the members of Legislative Assembly supporting him before Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan, before "dislodging the Kiran Kumar Reddy government".
Sixteen MLAs of main opposition Telugu Desam Party faxed their resignations to Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker's office tonight, protesting that the Centre did not give firm assurance on protecting the interests of people in the proposed Andhra Pradesh state after the separation of Telangana
Telugu Desam Party MP Venugopal Reddy, who was involved in a fracas over Telangana bill in the Lok Sabha today, termed as a "lie" the allegation that he was carrying a knife inside the House and claimed that he was assulated by 10 members.
There is a view that heavyweight portfolios like home, finance, defence and external affairs besides education and culture, two ministries with strong ideological hues, will be kept by the BJP, while its allies can get anywhere between five to eight cabinet berths.
The Telugu Desam Party continued to suffer the jolts with another senior leader from coastal Andhra region indicating that he was on the way out. M Pedda Rathaiah, four time legislator and former minister from Guntur district, held a meeting with his supporters and followers at his residence on Saturday to take a final decision about his political future.
There was absolute chaos at the Andhra Pradesh assembly with members of the Telegu Desam Party burning the Telangana Bill in the assembly.
The party leadership is all set to announce a new pro-Telangana stand on Thursday as a Dussehra gift to the people of Telangana by extending its support to the six-decade-old demand for a seperate Telangana state.
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.
The parties which gave chief ministers and sent scores of MPs to Parliament, drew a blank this time.
This case revolves around the establishment of clusters of Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh, with a total estimated project value of Rs 3,300 crores.
The Telugu Desam Party is reportedly shocked after three of its Members of Parliament -- T Devender Goud, Y Satyanarayana Choudary and Gundu Sudha Rani -- abstained from voting on the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's motion against Foreign Direct Investment in Rajya Sabha on Friday evening. TDP has five MPs in the Rajya Sabha of whom two -- Nandamuri Harikrishna and C M Ramesh -- voted against the government on Friday.
According to sources, TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has zeroed in on the name of his brother-in-law and actor Harikrishna for a Rajya Sabha seat that the party can win on the basis of its strength in the present legislative assembly, which constitutes the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha elections. He is expected to file his nomination papers on March 14.
BJP heavyweights Smriti Irani, Arjun Munda, Ajay Mishra Teni and Kailash Chaudhary were among the 13 Union ministers who tasted defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as stunning losses in three Hindi heartland states forced the BJP to rely on allies to form the government.
The Vishwaguru who addressed the maximum rallies and boasted of being blessed with divine energy, who promised guarantees in his own name, turned out finally not invincible, points out Jyoti Punwani.
With the reality of coalition politics staring the BJP in its face, this was inevitable, points out Ramesh Menon.
The police resorted to a lathi charge and seized several vehicles of TDP leaders, including Naidu's campaign vehicle, besides taking many party workers into custody.
Nara Chandrababu Naidu was elected the president of Telugu Desam Party for the eigth time at the party's annual conference Mahanadu, which concluded on Saturday. As usual Naidu's election was unanimous as no other leader filed the nomination for the top post. Naidu said he will constitute the party executive later.
Call it the art of staying rooted yet bending with prevailing political winds. With Telangana going to the polls in December, and assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra and Odisha scheduled next year, what factors have influenced parties' recent moves?
Cracking the whip, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien on Monday suspended two Telugu Desam Party members from Andhra Pradesh for a day for continuously disrupting the House by protesting against the decision to form Telangana.
Opposition members created a ruckus during Zero Hour, raising the issue of alleged violation of land laws by the chief minister.
The ongoing battle in Seema-Andhra is clearly between the Telegu Desam Party and the YSR Congress. Both parties are doing their best to seize the advantage and the misery of the Congress which is now being accused of splitting the state. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Even as JAC, comprising the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and other people's organisations met in Hyderabad to chalk out the future course of action, TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu lashed out at TRS holding it responsible for Thursday's attack on his senior party colleague N Janardhan Reddy.
The BJP president further said that Andhra Pradesh has always been on the agenda of national development and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left no stone unturned to ensure its growth and prosperity.
"Our party has decided not to attend the meeting with the GoM. Our main demand is that the GoM engage all stakeholders, including the Joint Action Committees, from different regions of the state in talks on the issue and address all concerns," TDP senior leader Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu said in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Four Telugu desam Party members of Parliament on Saturday gheraoed Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde outside his North Block office and demanded inclusion in the GoM on Telangana of representatives from the joint action committee protesting against the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
The suspended members were escorted out of the House by marshals.
