Press Releases Archive

Dr. JP greets Telangana people on State formation

Conveying his good wishes for the happiness and prosperity of 3.5 crore Telangana people following the formation of a separate State, Loksatta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today pledged to extend constructive cooperation to the new Government headed by TRS President K. Chandrasekhara Rao.

Underlining the need for both Telanagana and Andhra Pradesh Governments working together to ensure a bright future for their youth, Dr. JP said that a geographical division on a map is not going to obliterate their common civilization and culture, language, literature and history, Dr. JP said at a media conference.

Celebrating the formation of Telangana State at the party headquarters, Dr. JP hoisted the national tricolor and Mr. Bandaru Ramamohan Rao the party flag after offering floral tributes to the portraits of B. R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.

Dr. JP said that formation of Telangana has opened a new era in Telugu people’s history. It marks the culmination of sacrifices made by hundreds of people for decades.

He recalled that the Loksatta Party had declared unequivocally in the Assembly that formation of a Telangana State is necessary and inevitable. And it has had the distinction of laying the foundation for a bright future for the people of the two States.

The recent general elections once again demonstrated that Indian people are mature enough to elect stable Governments. The Constitution which has preserved unity amidst complex diversity in the country has also facilitated formation of Telangana State.

Describing himself as an eternal optimist, Dr. JP hoped the two States would be in the forefront of economic development in the next one decade in the country. Members of Parliament belonging to the two States should fight together to preserve and promote Telugu people’s interests. The two Governments should maintain cordial and amicable relations and enter into a healthy competition. If they follow the policy of ‘an eye for an eye’ both will go blind and other States will march ahead of them.

There might be hiccups between the two States initially over division of river waters, financial resources, employees etc. But such problems are not intractable. In fact, they appear to be trivial when compared to the challenges the two Governments face in living up to people’s expectations.

The two Governments will have to focus on improving infrastructure including power supply, attracting investments, promoting manufacturing, decentralizing power and providing good education and skills to youth and not on offering short-term sops to cling on to power.

Dr. JP referred to the absence of Andhra Pradesh leaders at the swearing-in ceremony of Mr. K. Chandrasekhara Rao as Telangana Chief Minister and hoped that such mistakes would not be repeated in future.

Party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, P. Ravi Maruth, P. R. Rao and Mrs. Geetha Murthy took part in the media conference.

Monday, June 2, 2014 - 14:33

T Formation Day at LSP Hq.

To mark the formation of Telangana State, Loksatta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayana will unveil the national flag at the party headquarters at 9-00 a.m. on Monday, June 2.

Giving this information in a media statement, Mr. Bandaru Ramamohan Rao, Convener, Telangana Coordination Committee, said that Dr. JP and other leaders will address party workers on the occasion.

Saturday, May 31, 2014 - 21:34

Dr. JP owns responsibility for electoral setback

“As Loksatta national President I take full responsibility for the party’s electoral failure,” Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today, adding that the popular saying that ‘success has many fathers but failure is an orphan’ is not always correct.

Addressing a media conference here in the wake of the general election results in which the Loksatta has drawn a blank, Dr. JP said although the Loksatta enjoyed considerable respect for its advocacy of new politics, it has not earned people’s support in two general elections.

Dr. JP said that despite the electoral setback, the Loksatta is not running away from politics. For the last 18 years, the Loksatta movement, the Foundation for Democratic Reforms and the Loksatta Party have carried on a relentless struggle to change the nature of politics and succeeded in bringing about a number of epoch-making reforms. It has laid the ideological foundation for the change in the political thinking of a number of politicians ranging from Narendra Modi to Arvind Kejriwal.

Yet, the party has not been successful in garnering votes in elections; Dr. JP conceded and said that a party’s success does not depend solely on the competence of its leadership. It requires leaders at all levels, innumerable volunteers who are prepared to spare their time, and financial resources, besides media support. All these will be forthcoming only when society is ready for real change.

Dr. JP said that the party will consider the options before it after deep introspection at both State and national levels. Whatever be the options, there will not be any change in its commitment to provide quality education, healthcare, skill and employment opportunities to all, economic development, good governance, decentralization of power and eradication of corruption.

Dr. JP said that people too should introspect as to why there has been no change in their lives all these years. No Government, after all, has assumed power without their consent. If they simply blame the Government for their misery without shouldering the responsibility for electing it, they will be indulging in collective hypocrisy. Poisonous seeds cannot yield edible fruit. If elections are largely won on money power, caste and regional divisions, freebies and dynastic succession, then there cannot be good governance. The media too should introspect whether it has striven to promote right thinking among people. Sections of media for the last couple of months have fought to get their favorite parties elected and not in public interest.

Dr. JP said that all political parties should learn lessons from the outcome of the just concluded general elections. For the first time after 1971, people have given a decisive mandate to the NDA led by Mr. Narendra Modi because he stood for reviving the economy, creating jobs and providing good governance. Mr. Narendra Modi has been given the golden opportunity to transform the country both politically and economically. He should display courage and commitment and help people realize their dreams. All parties should refrain from obstructionist politics and help Mr. Modi to work for them.

Congratulating the TRS and the TDP-BJP combine which have come to power in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh respectively, Dr. JP said that the parties have not followed the Modi path in their ascension to power. They resorted to the traditional tools of promoting regional or caste animosities or offering sops and freebies to gain votes. Now that elections are over, Dr. JP hoped, the two ruling parties will focus on creating jobs and fulfilling people;s aspirations.

State party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, P. Ravi Maruth, Y. D. Rama Rao and Omkar took part in the media conference.

Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 21:07

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