Media News Archive

Kadapa polls rigged: Congress spokesman

In a candid admission that could seriously embarrass the ruling Congress, its spokesman N Tulasi Reddy said here today that only those candidates, who could rig, win elections in Kadapa district –– the home district of no less a person than Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the Liberty Institute, he said, "in fact, all the winning candidates there owe their victory to rigging. All parties are searching for contestants who can rig polls in Kadapa district." He made these comments in the presence of Chief Electoral Officer IV Subba Rao. The Congress spokesperson further observed, "I have been involving myself in election process since 1983.

Earlier, candidates used to purchase voters wholesale by constructing churches or temples. Now, they are purchasing individual voters." When a participant sought to know if they were his personal observations or those of his party, Tulasi Reddy failed to reply prompting the other speaker, Lok Satta leader Jayaprakash Narayan, to quip: "As a party spokesman, his mind speaks. On occasions like this, his heart speaks."

Courtesy: Andhra Rajakeeyam.

Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 14:06

Lok Satta opposes Jamiat call for10 pc quota

HYDERABAD: Lok Satta Party on Monday opposed the demand for 10 per cent reservation to Muslims and other minorities in education and government
jobs made by Jamiat Ulama- e- Hind at the two-day meeting organised here on Sunday.

Addressing media, Lok Satta president Jayaprakash Narayan said the Supreme Court had imposed a cap of 50 per cent on reservation. " Even, if such a quota is feasible, experience shows that only well-educated and economically well-off sections were enjoying its fruits", he said.

He also felt that such demands would trigger social discord and the issue would be used for vote bank politics. Instead, he suggested that 10 per cent bonus marks in admission to higher educational institutions irrespective of caste and religion, would help the minorities. It was high time to organise an open debate on reservations, he said.

Welcoming the Jamiat declaration that terrorism was the biggest crime as per Quran, Jayaprakash said the acts of terror, violence and brutality were perpetrated against innocent citizens by criminals and fanatics and not by Hindus or Muslims. He said Jamiat statement was in consonance with "Wahabism" in Saudi Arabia which has declared that terrorism has no place in Islam.

Courtesy: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hyderabad/Lok_Satta_opposes_Jamiat_call_for10_pc_quota/articleshow/3696529.cms

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 13:53

GHMC drop boxes conspicuous by their absence

HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) seems to be taking people for a ride. While inaugurating the drop box at IMAX cinema theatre in the presence of Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao, to facilitate enrollment of unregistered voters in the twin cities and also for obtaining Electoral Photo Identity Cards, GHMC Commissioner S P Singh had announced that 2,000 drop boxes would be set up at different places in the twin cities for a period of one month.

They would be placed at all nationalised banks, e-seva centres, fair price shops, post offices, shopping malls and petrol bunks, he had said, but one can hardly find them at the above mentioned spots. Even a few drop boxes found at the GHMC head office, zonal offices and other places are not serving any purpose as one can hardly find electoral forms like 6, 7 and 8 at such places.

Yuva Satta, the youth wing of the Lok Satta Party, which inspected the above mentioned places, pointed out that drop boxes were available only at 15 to 20 places.

Yuva Satta volunteers inspected over 1,050 petrol bunks, post offices, banks, ration shops and super bazaars in 21 constituencies of the city. They found that drop boxes were available only at five post offices, six petrol bunks and four super bazaars.

GHMC officials told ENS that it would take a while to set up drop boxes at important places to help unregistered persons enroll as voters.

Courtesy : Expressbuzz.com

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 13:15

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