Rahul, Jagan are choice No. 1

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy are the most sought-after campaigners of the party in the state.

As AICC general secretary, Mr Gandhi, is able to impress people with his speeches, the Congress leaders are keen to have him at public meetings in their respective places. With the success of his public meetings at Anakapalle, Mylavaram, Kothakota and Qutbullapur, the state party leaders have requested Mr Gandhi to campaign for the ruling party candidates in other places too.

“Rahul looks like his father Rajiv Gandhi. Attacking Opposition parties with direct questions is his strength. That is why there is a large crowd at his meetings. His campaign will certainly boost the morale of the party cadre,” said Mr Rudra Raju Padma Raju, MLC and PCC general secretary. In the state, Mr Jaganmohan has become the new icon for the party. He has successfully targeted the Opposition, particularly the Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi. Mr Jaganmohan’s statements on Chiranjeevi and the TD chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, are being well received. With a successful tour in Guntur and Prakasham districts, leaders from other districts are now requesting him to come for road shows in their constituencies.

The success of these two leaders has come as a boon for the Congress as the TD is unable to deploy its young campaigners before the elections.

The TD’s star campaigner, Actor Junior NTR, who was hospitalised after an accident at Mothey of Nalgonda district, is not in a position to resume his road shows as the doctors have advised him rest.

KCR to stay away from Vizag meeting

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhara Rao will not be attending the Mahakootami rally at Visakhapatnam on April 13.

Reason: Naidu asked him not to come, mainly because if KCR speaks about Telangana, it would be counter-productive to the TD in the coastal region. Secondly, there will be hardly a day left for KCR to campaign in his own Mahbubnagar constituency, but also in some parts of Telangana, so that the TRS gets as much mileage as possible. He should also ensure that there would be perfect coordination between the TDP and TRS cadres. So, he would have to stay back in Telangana.

In any case, nobody would be interested in listening to KCR at Visakapatnam because he is a non-entity there.

Parakala Prabhakar's MP Drama!

It is known that the storm that has been raised by Parakala Prabhakar after his resignation from the PRP has been causing some major shakes in the party. However, not everything seems to be clear when it comes to the reason behind Parakala moving out of the party.

It is said that he desires to become an MP so he thought that PRP is strong and will win in coastal belt and hence joined it. But now, he realized that Congress has got better mileage and hence he is now planning to join congress at least to become MP in the Rajyasabha.

While the plan looks quite devious of Parakala, he has now walked out of PRP with a lot of noise. It remains to be seen whether the second part of making it to the Congress will work out or not. Only time will answer who will get to have the last laugh out of this entire controversy.

Actor Rajasekhar invokes caste for votes, arrested

AP Police Friday arrested Telugu film actor Rajasekhar for seeking votes in the name of caste.

The actor, who is campaigning for the ruling Congress, was arrested for violating model code of conduct in Srikakulam district in north coastal Andhra, police said.

A case was registered against him at Tekkali police station for seeking votes in the name of caste. He was later released on bail.

Rajasekhar and his wife Jeevitha are campaigning for the party in the region, which goes to polls in the first phase April 16.

The actor couple, during their campaign, have been targeting superstar and Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi.

Rajasekhar and Jeevitha are among a few film stars roped in by the ruling Congress for its campaign.

Are you still there? Chiru asks Mitra

The way one leader after the other is leaving the Praja Rajyam Party has definitely upset its president Chiranjeevi.

Though he is putting up a smiling face before the media, Chiranejevi is definitely irritated over the developments. When he came to the party office to address the media, he was in a disturbed mood. On seeing senior Dr P Mitra, he felt a little relaxed and commented in a lighter vein: “Are you still in the party?” Dr Mitra quietly replied: “Any doubt?” and sat along with Chiranjeevi at the press conference.

Apparently, Chiru has got the reports that even Dr Mitra would be quitting the party sooner or later. Though he said it in lighter vein, he was of the view that Dr Mitra would also desert him

Jr NTR discharged, told to rest

Actor Junior NTR was discharged from hospital on Friday, two we-eks after he was injured in a road accident near Suryapet.

Doctors said he would have to rest for four more weeks before he can get back on his feet.

Family sources said Jr NTR was discharged after midnight as there was varjyam, an inauspicious period, from 9.47 pm to 11.24 pm.

TD sources Jr NTR may not get back to the campaign. The TD will use video messages from the actor for the rest of the campaign period till the elections.

Will Chiru travel in engine or bogey?

Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi has decided to travel by train from Saturday all over the State to enlighten the voters about his party’s symbol “rail engine.” Media persons who attended his press conference got a doubt: whether Chiru would travel in rail engine or the compartment. Somebody suggested that it would be better to travel in the engine, because it would be apt to symbolise the party.

However, if Chiru wishes to travel in the compartment, then it would not send the right signal among the people. Moreover, there would be criticism that Chiru’s engine is not working; and then, one bogey after the other would be delinked from it, signifying the resignation of the leaders. What do you say, Chiru?