BJP-backed candidate wins Telangana MLC seat

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BJP-backed candidate wins Telangana MLC seat

BJP-backed candidate AVN Reddy on Friday won the election to the Telangana Legislative Council seat from the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad Teachers’ constituency.

Reddy secured 13,436 votes, crossing the required quota of 12,709 ballots to emerge victorious.

He was declared elected after 21 rounds of counting, defeating his nearest rival G. Chennakesava Reddy of the PRTU.

AVN Reddy had contested as the candidate of the BJP-affiliated teachers’ union.

According to returning officer Priyanka Ala, a total of 25,868 votes were polled, and a candidate needed to secure 12,709 votes to be declared the winner.

As no candidate secured more than 50 percent of first preference votes, counting of second preference votes was taken up.

Out of a total of 21 candidates, 19 were eliminated when the counting was stopped on Thursday night.

AVN Reddy was leading by 943 votes over Chennakesava Reddy. Polling in the constituency spread over nine districts was held on March 13.

A total of 90.40 percent of polling was recorded. According to officials, a total of 29,720 voters had exercised the franchise.

K’taka to witness high-voltage campaign by PM Modi, Rahul

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K’taka to witness high-voltage campaign by PM Modi, Rahul

As Karnataka is heading for the Assembly elections, major political parties are vying with each other to make an impact on voters. The ruling BJP and opposition Congress are roping in their top leaders in the coming week intensifying the competition. Through these programs, both parties are showing off their strength.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Davanagere on March 25 and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address a mega public rally in Belagavi on March 20.

The Vijaya Sankalp Yatra launched by the BJP on March 1 from four directions of the state is congregating at Davanagere on March 25. The program is being organized in a 400-acre ground behind JMIT college and the party is hoping that a minimum of seven lakh people will attend the rally. The party senior leaders have been asked to gather a 10 lakh crowd for the program.

Following the repeated visits of PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Congress is getting Rahul Gandhi to be in the state on March 20. He will attend the ‘Yuva Kranthi Convention’ at Belagavi and leaders are striving to make it a historic rally. The Belagavi city of Karnataka has hosted the first AICC session and Rahul Gandhi is attending a public rally for the first time after the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka.

Yogi govt to release booklet highlighting achievements

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Yogi govt to release booklet highlighting achievements

Exploring the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s schemes and fulfillments of his government, The Uttar Pradesh government shall be announcing the booklets on March 25.

The one booklet, which has covered the projects by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in the state, will announce soon, and for every individual constituency, booklets are also making an announcement in Lucknow.

Based on the Yogi Adityanath projects like the former’s related schemes, laws, and women empowerment, which were down still in a state, Two to 5 minutes Short films are also preparing by a special team to show on March 25.

“The films will be shown on display screens and LED screens across the state. Most of these screens are located in large cities, including Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Agra, Varanasi, and Prayagraj. The films will be screened all day.

“The chief minister will hold a press conference in Lucknow, where he will recount the works done by the government in the past six years and especially over the last year and this will be telecast live across the state and on social media,” said an official in the chief minister’s secretariat.

The booklets will be made available at all gram panchayats, libraries, and government offices.

“The book will have two sections, one on achievements of the past six years and the other on achievements of the past year. Works done by each department in all the Assembly constituencies are being put together. It will also focus on BJP’s Sankalp Patra issued before the Assembly elections and how many of those promises have been fulfilled,” the official said.

Kavitha to skip ED probe in Delhi excise policy case

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Kavitha to skip ED probe in Delhi excise policy case

K. Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who was all set to join the investigation of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case, is likely to skip the summon.

Sources said that she gave a letter to the ED on Wednesday saying her issue was pending before the Supreme Court and hence she needs time.

During her first appearance, she was reportedly confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai, who had represented the South Group which allegedly gave kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to the AAP leaders allegedly used during the Goa Assembly polls.

Pillai has reportedly said that he was Kavitha’s associate.

On Wednesday, the ED recorded the statement of Buchchi Babu, the BRS MLC’s former auditor and also a member of the South Group.

Kavitha has maintained that she has never met former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been arrested by the CBI and the ED in connection with the case, claiming that her name was being unnecessarily dragged into the matter.

According to the ED, Kavitha is also one of the representatives of South Group in the excise policy case.

Kerala Assembly continues to fume, days proceedings ends in 15 minutes

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Kerala Assembly continues to fume, days proceedings ends in 15 minutes

The day’s proceedings in the Kerala Assembly on Thursday ended in 15 minutes time after the Congress-led Opposition demanded action against two treasury legislators and a few Watch and Ward staff who had misbehaved with the opposition women MLAs.

On Wednesday, the opposition legislators staged a siege at the Speaker’s office located next door to the floor of the Assembly, to protest against him. Following this the Watch and Ward staff were called to disperse the protesting MLAs.

In the melee, a few opposition legislators were injured, which included K.K. Rema.

On Thursday morning just before the Assembly proceedings began, Speaker A.N. Shamseer held a meeting of the party leaders and requested both sides to ensure things are brought under control.

In the meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan were engaged in a war of words with each taking on one other, leaving others amused.

Satheesan said the right of the opposition to present leave for adjournment motion is being rejected outrightly to which Vijayan said it was not possible to allow the presentation of adjournment motion for anything and everything and the two continued to take on one another for some more time.

When the House assembled, Shamseer said what happened in the House complex and before the office of the Speaker was something unheard and unseen before in the history of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

“Such things should have never happened and the happenings were shot on mobile phones and that was not acceptable. We could have used technology that is available to jam recordings on the mobile, but we did not use it. So I request all should cooperate,” said Shamseer.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said, “It was true that things might have gone out of hand, but all we did was to stage a democratic protest before the office of the Speaker.

“But the peaceful democratic protests were spoiled by two treasury bench legislators and a few Watch and Ward staff. We demand action against them.”

And, when the Question hour began, the opposition legislators trooped into the well and then shouted slogans before the dais of the Speaker.

Unable to proceed, the Speaker then suspended question hour and rushed through the proceedings of the House before adjourning the House for the day.

K Kavitha to appear before ED in Delhi excise policy case today

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K Kavitha to appear before ED in Delhi excise policy case today

BRS MLC K. Kavitha is scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday in connection with the central agency’s probe into the Delhi Excise Policy scam case.

This will be her second appearance before the ED after she was grilled earlier on March 11.

Before joining the probe on Thursday, Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, will also hold a press meeting at her home in the national capital.

A woman deputy director-level official will record her testimony under section 50 of the PMLA.

During her first appearance, she was reportedly confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai, who had represented the South Group which allegedly gave kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders allegedly used during the Goa Assembly polls.

Pillai has reportedly said that he was Kavitha’s associate.

On Wednesday, the ED recorded the statement of Buchchi Babu, the BRS MLC’s former auditor and also a member of the South Group.

There are possibilities that the central agency might confront Kavitha on Thursday with Buchchi Babu, according to sources.

Kavitha has maintained that she has never met former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been arrested by the CBI and the ED in connection with the case, claiming that her name was being unnecessarily dragged into the matter.

According to the ED, Kavitha is also one of the representatives of South Group in the excise policy case.

LS adjourned amid protests; Minister says Rahul insulted Speaker

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LS adjourned amid protests; Minister says Rahul insulted Speaker

Lok Sabha on Wednesday was adjourned for the day till Thursday amid chaotic protests by both treasury benches and the opposition members.

As soon as the Lower House reassembled at 2 p.m., treasury members started raising slogans, seeking an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on democracy during a speech in London last week.

The opposition members led by the Congress, stormed into the well of the House with placards, seeking a probe by a joint Parliamentary committee (JPC) in the Adani matter.

Parliamentary affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that Rahul Gandhi through his comments on members not being allowed to speak in Parliament has insulted the Speaker directly.

He said that even the Indian diaspora from several countries has criticized Rahul Gandhi’s comments that democracy is threatened in India.

“Rahul Gandhi has cast aspersions on India. He has insulted the country. It is the height of insult as he has blamed the Speaker by saying that members’ mikes are switched off when they try to speak,” Joshi said.

Trinamool Congress, which had earlier skipped the opposition parties’ meeting earlier in the day, and had said that it would raise its own issues in Parliament, also lent passive support to protests by the Congress.

Trinamool members were seen standing near their seats as were members from the Samajwadi Party, BSP, JD(U), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), and NCP, during the protests by the Congress members.

Amid the continuous bedlam, Bhartruhari Mahtab, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House till Thursday.

This is the third day in a row when the Lok Sabha has failed to transact any business owing to protests.

Telangana Congress leaders detained during ‘chalo Raj Bhavan’ march

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Telangana Congress leaders detained during ‘chalo Raj Bhavan’ march

Congress leaders and scores of workers in Hyderabad were detained on Wednesday when they tried to march toward Raj Bhavan to “expose” the relationship between the Adani group and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Tension prevailed at the busy Khairatabad crossroads as police stopped the Congress rally which started from the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) office at Gandhi Bhavan and was heading towards Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor.

Police had erected barricades to stop the protesters. There were heated arguments between police officers and Congress leaders who raised an objection to the police action. As the protesters tried to push through the barricades, the police used force to stop them and detained them.

Those detained included Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, senior leader Mallu Ravi, TPCC working president Anjan Kumar Yadav, and leaders of women, youth, and student wings of the party.

The Congress had called for chalo Raj Bhavan to “expose” the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.

The protesters carrying party flags and placards reading ‘save LIC’ were raising slogans against the “anti-people” policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Addressing the protesters at Khairatabad crossroads, Vikramarka alleged that the “Prime Minister was trying to shield Adani, who is involved in scams of billions of rupees”.

“The BJP would continue to destroy Constitutional institutions, public sector companies, and the lives of people until it is voted out of power,” he said.

By rejecting the opposition’s demand for setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the “Adani scam”, the Prime Minister was trying to “protect” Adani, the Congress leader alleged.

“He (Modi) is trying to protect those who are looting the country’s wealth while we are striving to protect the public assets,” he said.

Stalin urges PM to intervene in release of 16 fishermen from TN in Lankan custody

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Stalin urges PM to intervene in release of 16 fishermen from TN in Lankan custody

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the release of 16 fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy.

In a letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister requested him to initiate diplomatic steps to ensure the release of the fishermen.

“This is the third incident of attack/arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan nationals/Navy within a month and as you are aware, these fishermen are solely dependent on their fishing activity for livelihood and such frequent incidents shatter the livelihood of poor fishermen and also create a fear psychosis in the minds of poor fishermen from Tamil Nadu.”

He said that 102 fishing boats are in the custody of the Sri Lankan Navy as of the date and added that six fishing boats that were released by Sri Lanka are yet to be repatriated to India. Stalin, in the letter, requested the Prime Minister to initiate “necessary diplomatic steps to secure the early release of all 16 fishermen and 102 fishing boats that were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.”

The Chief Minister also recalled his earlier letters addressed to the Union External Affairs minister who had taken up the matter with the Sri Lanka government and despite all the efforts such incidents are continuing.

PM holds meeting with key cabinet ministers in Parliament

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PM holds meeting with key cabinet ministers in Parliament

Amid protests by treasury benches in Parliament over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s democracy comments in London which have disrupted proceedings in both houses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a meeting with his cabinet ministers.

According to sources, the meeting was attended by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, I&B Minister Anurag Thakur, Parliamentary Affairs and Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi, Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar, and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The meeting is learned to have discussed the strategy for the ongoing Budget session, whose second part resumed on Monday after a month-long break.

On Monday, both Houses were adjourned without transacting any business as BJP members sought Rahul Gandhi’s apology in Parliament and engaged in noisy protests.

With opposition members also protesting over the Adani issue, proceedings of both Houses were disrupted.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Lok Sabha was adjourned amid protests by both treasury benches and opposition members.

Earlier on Monday, a meeting of Congress MPs under the chairmanship of party president Mallikarjun Kharge had also taken place at the party’s Parliamentary Party office in Parliament to chalk out the strategy for the session.

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