Firebrand BJP leader T Raja Singh took on a new role recently — this time as a festival reformer. With the Bonalu celebrations round the corner, Raja Singh during meetings with temple committees, made a heartfelt request. Put up banners at temples reminding everyone that those who consume alcohol should stay out of sacred spaces. Raja Singh shared his concern about how some youngsters mistakenly think Bonalu is all about partying with beer, brandy, and DJ music, only to crash at home afterward. But Bonalu is all about seeking blessings from the Goddess for good rains, healthy crops, and well-being of everyone, is the message from Raja Singh. Lest They Forget: Ex-MP Sets Up His Own Statue Paying homage to political leaders requires statues. And these dot nearly every village, town, and city, with those who are no more in this world, either smiling down at the people below or giving a baleful look – depending on how nicely the statue is done. While erecting statues is nearly always done after a leader’s departure, some ensure one is ready for the future, as is the case with three-time MP Keshpally Ganga Reddy who, before his demise, had his own statue in set up in his lifetime in his native Jakranpally mandal to ensure he is remembered by the people. One more statue is now expected to join the pantheon of political leaders whose likeness is preserved for posterity, with plans being made to erect one of former minister D. Srinivas on Nizamabad town’s Bypass Road. Arvind Dharmapuri, Nizamabad MP and younger son of Srinivas, has taken the initiative on this matter and soon a new statue is all set to be installed on the bypass road.All Silent On The Komatireddy FrontIt’s hard to keep the Komatireddy brothers who straddle Nalgonda district politics out of the news. There are already questions floating on why minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has reduced his attendance at official programmes, even as his brother and Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy was left out of the recent Cabinet expansion. On top of this, Venkat Reddy has been dropped as the in-charge minister for Khammam district. Word is that the minister did not succeed in getting any of his followers into nominated posts, particularly chairmen to the corporations. Venkat Reddy’s promise to his stout follower G. Mohan Reddy of a corporation chairman post has remained unfilled even after one and a half years. All of these, apparently have led to Venkat Reddy’s reduced visibility these days.Mahesh Goud Scores Another Fake HeadlineYet another bold claim by TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud’s has backfired — again. Goud recently told the media that he made an angry phone call to revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and scolded the minister for talking to the media about the local body elections happening in July — something the Cabinet hasn’t even decided on yet. But hold on! Sources close to Ponguleti say that such a call never happened, and that Goud was just making things up. In fact, they revealed it was Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy who actually cautioned Ponguleti at a recent informal Cabinet meeting not to talk about the elections publicly. Adding spice, Ponguleti himself cleared the air. He said he didn’t make any public or media comments at all. He only spoke during a private meeting with party workers in his hometown Palair in Khammam district to gear them up for the polls. Some overexcited local leaders might have leaked those comments to the press. This isn’t Goud’s first ‘fake headline’. Earlier, he had claimed that he had recommended names for MLC positions to the party’s high command. That, too, turned out to be untrue. Now, people in Congress circles are scratching their heads and wondering: Why is Goud making these tall claims — and ending up red-faced every time? Maybe he’s just trying to stay in the news. Or maybe he’s got a very active imagination. Either way, it’s giving his party more drama than they asked for!Ambati breaks ‘barri-code’ on injuring copFormer minister and YSRC senior leader Ambati Rambabu’s enthusiasm to impress his party president and ex-CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has landed him in trouble with the police booking a case against him for obstructing them from discharging their duties. It all began when Ambati, who has earned the nickname of ‘Sambarala Rambabu’, sought to remove police barricades erected to regulate traffic while Jagan was on his way to Rentapalla in Palnadu district on June 18. Rambabu picked up an argument with the police personnel, demanding that Jagan’s convoy of vehicles be allowed without restrictions. In the melee that followed, a constable reportedly sustained minor injuries, and this ended with Rambabu now becoming the subject of a case filed by the police.Tiff, miff: Jana Sena- TD storyTiffs between leaders of Telugu Desam and Jana Sena, partners in the AP government, seem to show no signs of abating. TD cadres are miffed over Visakhapatnam South’s Jana Sena MLA Vamsi Krishna Yadav for laying the foundation stone for that development of a Christian burial ground and a wholesale market in the One Town area, ignoring Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao and local corporator K. Purnima Sridhar. TD workers claim the mayor requested the MLA to defer the date and do it after International Yoga Day but Krishna Yadav apparently refused to bend to the request, leaving the two sides in yet another minor kerfuffle.Twists and turns for the yoga festThe run-up to the International Yoga Day’s big celebrations in Andhra Pradesh is resulting in some piquant situations. While yoga may be the order of the day, instructions that anganwadi teachers must be accompanied by their husbands while taking part in the festivities has left many scratching their heads. Then there was the state government’s call to geotag all participants. And finally, a call that only those who regularly practice yoga must get on to their mats on the big day to ensure the visuals of the event on the Vizag beach are in sync, and not those who fumble and provide unwanted visuals, has left the event organising officials wondering what all these contortions are all about.Sharmila ‘outs’ Subba Reddy on snoopingYSRC Rajya Sabha MP Y.V. Subba Reddy is reportedly not having the best week, thanks to an unexpected shout-out from his niece Y.S. Sharmila. According to Sharmila, the AP Congress chief, it was uncle Subba Reddy who years ago warned her that her phone, and that of her husband, were being tapped. Not just that. According to her, Subba Reddy even brought her audio proof of the same. And so, Subba Reddy finds himself trending as the one who allegedly broke the big spy story at the family level. While Sharmila wonders if he’ll admit to his warning publicly, insiders say he’s busy regretting every conversation he’s ever had with her. In a damage control exercise, Subba Reddy pointed out that the media dragged his name into the whole matter, ignoring that it was Sharmila, who said so, and on record.Contributions from Sampat G. Samritan, K.M.P. Patnaik, Narender Pulloor, L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Avinash P. Subramanyam, P. Srinivas, Neeraj Kumar, Aruna.
Source link
