The Centre's failure to arrive on a decision on Telangana has angered people looking forward to the creation of the new state. Vicky Nanjappa talks to leaders of the major parties leading the pro-Telangana campaign to guage their reactions
Campaigning ended on Wednesday evening for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 with top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) making a last-gasp effort to woo voters.
Slamming Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for his comment that political parties in Andhra Pradesh should first make up their mind on Telangana issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday demanded that the Centre should conduct a referendum in the region.
The work we have done in the south and the northeast over the last 10 years under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, we have started getting results of the same, he said.
Vicky Nanjappa speaks to experts and points out six reasons behind the Congress's dismal show in Telangana, although at one point it was expected that the grand old party will be electorally rewarded after it passed the bill for the new state in Parliament.
'The biggest change that the BJP can initiate in the run-up to 2024 is appointing new faces as chief ministers.' 'In doing so, it will send a message well beyond 2024.'
Modi, who addressed a public meeting in Hyderabad after laying foundation stone and inaugurating several development projects, also said the lack of cooperation from the state government is leading to delay in the completion of several central projects in Telangana.
The Bharatiya Janata Party suffered stunning losses in three Hindi heartland states, partial poll results showed Tuesday, forcing the party to rely on allies to form the government after a bitter and divisive election that was projected as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.
While some parties including the Trinamool Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Samajwadi Party were keen on having early seat-sharing talks, the Congress delayed the deliberations pending the outcome of assembly polls.
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) MPs, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises on Wednesday over the alleged discrimination against opposition-ruled states in the Union Budget.
Initial reports reaching Hyderabad from the region indicate the Road Transport Corporation bus services were partially affected as protesters staged dharnas in front of depots in Telangana districts, including Hyderabad.
Notably, leaders of 13 Opposition parties on Saturday expressed deep concern over the recent incidents of hate speech and communal violence in the country and urged people to maintain peace and harmony.
Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader K Kavitha is expected to be produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court by the Enforcement Directorate in New Delhi on Saturday for obtaining her remand for custodial interrogation in the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22, officials said.
KCR is now having to resort to the lowest common denominator in elections: Reservations.
Chidambaram appealed to political parties in Andhra Pradesh to read the recommendations of the Justice Srikrishna Committee on Telangana with an "open mind" and give "impartial consideration" to them.
Accusing the Congress and Telugu Desam Party leaders from Telangana of being insincere over their resignations in support of separate statehood demand, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and political Joint Action Committee on Wednesday announced an action plan to intensify the stir to make them quit and mount pressure on the Centre.
In a big organisational rejig, the BJP named Union minister G Kishan Reddy, Sunil Jakhar and Babulal Marandi as party presidents in Telangana, Punjab and Jharkhand respectively.
The bench said it is not going into the merit of the case at the moment.
Among the keenly watched contests are those involving former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav (Kannauj, UP) and Union ministers Giriraj Singh (Begusarai, Bihar), Nityanand Rai (Ujiarpur, Bihar) and Raosaheb Danve (Jalna, Maharashtra).
It is in power on its own only in three states -- Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana -- with a big question mark on whether it can even stake claim to be head of the INDIA bloc.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Tuesday poised to form the government for a third consecutive term with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance getting a majority in the Lok Sabha, notwithstanding crushing losses in three Hindi heartland states after a bitterly fought election that was projected as a referendum on his popularity.
A few students were detained after they staged a protest in Old Rajinder Nagar in New Delhi on Sunday, demanding action against those responsible for the deaths of three civil services aspirants at a coaching centre in the area, and compensation for their families.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy, CPI-M state secretary B Raghavalu, PRP leader C Ramachandraiah were among those who are attending the meeting during which Chidambaram will handed over the Justice B N Srikrishna Committee report on the Telangana statehood demand.
Telangana was on Thursday on the boil following a backlash in the wake of Centre backtracking on the statehood issue as 70 MLAs cutting across party lines and 11 Congress MPs resigned their seats and a bandh in the region turned violent.
Denying allegations of orchestrating the latest delay in the formation of the Telangana state, Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress is going all out portraying the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi as the real villains. Vicky Nanjappa reports
In a judgment of far-reaching implications, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a Muslim woman can seek maintenance from her husband under Section 125 of the CrPC and said the "religion neutral" provision is applicable to all married women irrespective of their religion.
'Chandrababu is wiser and a very good administrator.' 'Jagan is the opposite. He is not very wise, not a good administrator.'
One can expect that the formation of Telangana will have more positives than negatives. The 'Telangana effect' has already prompted demands for a separate Vidarbha and break up of Uttar Pradesh. This needs to be considered seriously as this can only lead to deepening governance, says Colonel (retd) Anil Athale.
After the release of the Justice Srikrishna report on Telangana, the Congress leadership is gearing up to face a long drawn battle on the issue even as the bifurcation of the state is not on the mind of the party leadership, say highly placed sources in the Congress.
The movement for a separate Telangana state has taken its toll on the industrial sector in Andhra Pradesh even though chief minister, Konijeti Rosaiah, asserts that agitations will not come in the way of state's development.
The bill on separate Telangana could rock the last session of the 15th Lok Sabha beginning Wednesday with several parties asking the government to first get the Vote on Account passed before taking up any other legislation.
BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari were among those who addressed public meetings in different parts of the state on Sunday.
Having largely developed the Telangana region during its rule in Andhra Pradesh, only the Telugu Desam could rebuild a modern Telangana once the new state comes into existence, party president N Chandrababu Naidu said in Hyderabad on Saturday.
'...for success like the BJP.' 'The BJP's work for the next election begins the day one election ends.'
Train services across Telangana region were paralysed on Tuesday as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Telugu Desam Party, Bharatiya Janata Party workers along with other Telangana supporters began a dawn-to-dusk 'rail roko' agitation in support of the separate statehood demand.
The BJP is now inventing new angles to keep its campaign relevant -- even if it's old wine in an old bottle, which is what the allegation on 'Katchatheevu' is, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Welcoming the fresh initiative of the Centre to find a solution to the decades-old problem, 13 Congress ministers from Telangana have withdrawn their resignations.
The Congress has appointed observers to coordinate meetings of its legislature party in four states where assembly election results will be declared on Sunday.
If states have to fall in line with MSPs declared by political parties, they will have to do so in violation of central order or bear the full expense of the surplus procured at above MSP rates.
