Warangal:
The Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi got a few lessons in agriculture in the cotton fields of a remote village, Rupi Reddy Palle, in the Maoist-affected Regonda mandal on Monday. For the first time during his yatra in the district, Chiranjeevi got down from his vehicle and ventured into the cotton fields, surprising the women farmers working there. The women flocked around their matinee idol and began narrating their woes. Ms Panchagiri Radha complained that they were not getting a competitive price for their cotton. She also pointed to the irregular power supply.
Ms Vannala Rani told Chiranjeevi that they were losing money to spurious seeds and pesticides. Mr Chiranjeevi blamed their woes on the government. “The suicides among cotton farmers were really painful. Is it such a big problem to overcome,” he asked.
Warangal:
Praja Rajyam (PR) president Chiranjeevi got his first lessons in agriculture in the cotton fields of a remote village, Rupi Reddy Palle, in the Maoist-dominated Regonda mandal of the district on Monday.
For the first time during his visit in the district, he got down from his vehicle and ventured into the cotton fields, where the women working there were pleasantly surprised by the unexpected visitor. The women narrated their woes and asked him to take the mantle of the state and do “justice” to them.
A woman farmer, Ms Panchagiri Radha, complained of low price for their cotton produce and irregular power supply to farming sector. Another farmer, Ms Vannala Rani, told the actor that the spurious seeds and pesticides were causing losses to them. Chiranjeevi, who was obviously briefed about the Regonda that had seen highest number of suicides among cotton farmers, criticised the government for its lack of commitment to solve the problems. “The suicides among the cotton farmers were really painful. Is it such a big problem to overcome? What all the government need is humanity and dedication to help the farmers,” he said.
On tardy progress of the Devadula project, Chiranjeevi alleged that the project was witnessing leakages due to the low quality works. Taking potshots at his critics, who termed him as ignorant of farmers issues, he said that one need not come from a farmer’s family to understand their problem. “I have heart enough to show humanity to the farmers and dedication to solve their problems,” he said.
Warangal:
Praja Rajyam (PR) founder Chiranjeevi on Monday took the offensive to the Congress camp on the separate Telangana issue. Annoyed at the repeated protests by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) activists, who demanded him to come out more clearly on the vexed issue, Chiranjeevi said that it was the ruling Congress that lacked the clarity on the separate state issue.
Addressing a massive gathering at Parkal town, he said that he was having greater clarity on the separate state demand than the ruling Congress, which he said was duping the region’s people for the past four years. “I have clearly said that I am in favour of the formation of the separate state. My party will not oppose the bill for the purpose if moved by the Centre,” he reiterated.
Getting angry at the repeated protests, which turned a bit humiliating in this citadel of the TRS, Chiranjeevi said that he knew of the aspirations of the people of the region and he knew the prevailing sentiment for the separate state here.
“I am the one who said that this region was not backward instead it was made backward by the rulers. I am the one who termed the separate state demand as the issue of the self-respect of the region’s people,” he added. But still the skeptics demand more clarity from him, he said and added that this was totally uncalled for.
“It is the Congress that came to the power riding on the separate state sentiment wave by joining hands with the TRS. Now it is the ruling party which failed to make its stand clear still and instead it was pointing an accusing finger at me,” Mr Chiranjeevi said.
He exhorted the people to question the Congress and the Central government for going back on its promise to carve out a separate state.
Referring to the corruption, the PR president said that from pensions to projects there is a total corruption in the functioning of this government and cited the urban housing and pensions scam in the city.
State in grip of yatra fever
Hyderabad:
Massive public meetings and yatras have become the order of the day in Andhra Pradesh as election fever grips the political parties. The competition is growing by the day. Megastar Chiranjeevi’s massive public meeting at Tirupati for the launch of the Praja Rajyam has prompted other parties to organise similar shows to display their strength by mobilising lakhs of people.
It is estimated that about five lakh people attended Chiranjeevi’s first public meeting on August 27. On that day, Tirupati was flooded with people from all parts of the State. They came in trucks, buses, trains, cars and two wheelers. The frenzied reaction of crowds when Chiranjeevi came on stage was brought to drawing rooms by television channels. The think-tanks of the Congress and the Telugu Desam immediately got down to work to organise similar mega meetings.
The Congress arranged an “interaction” between party chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, and two lakh women self help group members at Tirupati on September 12, and billed it the largest gathering of women. Similarly, the public meeting of the Congress at an 80-acre site on the outskirts of Anantapur town was a equally grand show. Around five to seven lakh people participated in it.
The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, was all praise for the ministers Mr N Raghuveera Reddy, Mr J.C. Diwakar Reddy and Mr Botsa Satyanarayana, who arranged the programme. Not to be outdone, Telugu Desam is planning to conduct a mega Yuva Garjana in Guntur on November 5.
The party supremo, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, has reportedly directed his colleagues to make it grander than the shows organised by Chiranjeevi and Congress. The target is 10 lakh people. Meanwhile, the senior TD leader, Mr Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, has alleged that the government was trying to put obstacles at every step for the proposed TD rally. “We asked the APSRTC to provide sufficient number of buses but they are reluctant. However, they did the same for the Congress,” he said. “They are insisting on payment of Rs 10,000 as deposit for every bus. Similarly, we sought three trains to ferry people from different parts of the state. Despite these hurdles, we will present a grand show.”
The senior Congress leader and former PCC chief, Mr P. Narsa Reddy, admitted that all parties are being compelled to put up mega shows. Parties are pumping in crores of rupees to mobilise people, to put up colourful hoardings, banners, flags, and to rent thousands of vehicles, not to speak of giving out advertisements in newspapers and TV channels. “Earlier, we just had to give free food and water to people,” said Mr Narsa Reddy. “Now you have to shell out cash like one pays for daily wagers along with providing other facilities.”
But the moot question is whether such meetings and road shows persuade people to vote for a party. “It is a million dollar question,” said Dr Mysoora Reddy. “Ultimately, you don’t know what goes on in the minds of people.”
Hyderabad:
On an average a political party needs to spend about Rs 10 crore to mobilise five lakh people for a public meeting. Though no party is willing to go on record about this for obvious reasons, they all concur with this figure in private.
“On an average, a party has to spend Rs 150 per worker,” said a senior leader. “This includes wages, food and water. The transportation cost is not included. If you add transportation cost, it goes up to Rs 200 per head, depending on the mode of transport.” Nowadays, parties have to hire people for meetings. The era of people walking kilometres to hear speeches of their favourite leaders is long gone. “The cost of cutouts, banners, hoardings, advertisements and other paraphernalia is apart from this,” said the leader.
Huge amounts were spent on Chiranjeevi’s public meeting at Tirupati. It is also said that the Congress spent Rs 15 crore for Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s meetings at Tirupati and Anantapur. As many as 4,000 APSRTC buses were hired for the public meeting besides 1,000 transport buses from Karnataka. Interestingly, the entire crowd was mobilised from within the district. Similarly, the Congress reportedly spent Rs 9 crore to hire buses for Tirupati SHGs for the “interaction” with Mrs Sonia Gandhi. And after doing all this, parties surely want the media to report huge figures.
Cops generally calculate crowds by estimating that 5,000 people can stand on an acre of open land. For instance, the public meeting at Anantapur was held in an 80 acre plot. This means that there were around four lakh people there and around two lakh in the surrounding roads.
Hyderabad:
The Congress on Monday took strong exception to the Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi accusing it of taking up construction of new irrigation projects for kickbacks. The party spokespersons, Mr Paladugu Venkat Rao, and Mr Tulsi Reddy, challenged Chiranjeevi to demand the cancellation of new irrigation projects.
“If he has the guts, let him oppose construction of new dams. Irrigation projects are the life line of the people. Such baseless allegation only shows his immaturity,” Mr Venkat Rao said. Referring to Chiranjeevi’s charge that there was no development under the Congress rule, he said the actor should ask the people. “What does he know about development sitting in Hyderabad? He earned over Rs 500 crore acting in films, but he did not help a single film worker. He does not know the hard work done by workers of Singareni Collieries,” he remarked.
Citing the example of late Tamil actor M.G. Ramachandran who spent a fortune on poor, he asked in what way Chiranjeevi helped the film industry and people at large. Mr Tulsi Reddy criticised Chiranjeevi for alleging that the Congress ignored old projects and took up new ones for kickbacks. “Can anyone oppose construction of Polavaram, Pulichintala, Pothireddypadu and other irrigation projects?,” he said. The Congress spokespersons said that though aerated drinks were harmful, Chiranjeevi promoted them to make some quick money.
Hyderabad:
The Praja Rajyam is suspecting the Telugu Desam’s hand in the recent sting operation carried out over Chiranjeevi’s in-camera meeting, where the PR chief was reportedly giving directions to his party men to spy on the movements of the politicians in the PR.According to the party sources, after a thorough inquiry, the PR camp managers came to the conclusion that one employee in the PR headquarters is being used as a spy by the TD leadership. “The in-charge of administration in the PR central office carried out this operation.
This person earlier worked in a key position in the NTR memorial trust. We suspect his role. Our investigation revealed that these sort of secret recordings were carried out since from the inception of our party. But, the TD leaders selectively leaked the recent one for the media only to keep its flock together,” a senior leader in the PR said.
Chiranjeevi Exclusive 