BJP leaders arrested for staging ‘rasta roko’

Raising issues: BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu being taken away in a police van in Hyderabad on Friday.

HYDERABAD: Several senior leaders of the BJP, including M. Venkaiah Naidu and Bangaru Laxman, were arrested on Friday after they staged a ‘rasta roko’ at Khairatabad crossroads against the rising prices. Traffic came to a halt for some time.

Police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the large number of party activists. The arrested activists, who originally planned a ‘jail bharo’ programme, were taken to the Shivkumar Lal Stadium, Goshamahal, and released in the evening.

Among those arrested were N. Indrasena Reddy, national secretary, Bandaru Dattatreya, State president, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, U.V. Krishnam Raju, former Union Ministers, G. Kishan Reddy, MLA, K. Laxman, general secretary, Chintala Ramachandra Reddy, president, Greater Hyderabad unit, which organised the protest.

Prior to their arrest, senior leaders addressed the gathering. They said the State executive meeting here on June 28 and 29 would finalise the agitation programme to protest shortage of fertilizers and seed and demanding increased minimum support price for paddy.

State draws flak on land deals

Opposition parties to petition Chief Minister on `pitfalls of the transactions'

---

Land deals deprive the poor of adequate compensation, say parties

Parties should wage independent struggles to highlight issue: CPI(M)

Government land should be used for providing shelter to homeless: TDP

Affluent sections given exemptions in acquisition of land for ORR: TRS

---

UNITED STAND: Leaders of the opposition parties (from left) E. Peddi Reddy (TDP), K. Laxman (BJP), B. V. Raghavulu (CPI-M) and N. Narasimha Reddy (TRS) at the round table conference in Hyderabad on Friday. PHOTO: SATISH. H.

HYDERABAD: A round-table of representatives of Opposition parties lashed out at the State Government for its involvement in the large-scale land transactions on the city outskirts, letting the poor down.

The meeting decided to seek an appointment with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to represent to him about the pitfalls of the deals that had deprived the poor of adequate compensation. If the CMO does not respond positively to their request all the parties would send a joint letter to Dr. Reddy pleading for an end to the transactions.

CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu, who mooted the idea of writing a common letter, wanted all parties to simultaneously wage independent struggles to focus on the problem. He said the Government lacked a policy on land transactions as was evident from Dr. Reddy's announcement a week ago to formulate a new policy.

Details sought

Mr. Raghavulu wanted the Government to make public details of all such transactions concluded during the Telugu Desam and the Congress regimes. He alleged that Mandal Revenue Offices in the adjoining Ranga Reddy district worked overtime to enable the buying and selling of land.

E. Peddi Reddy (TDP) said the Government itself was involved in real estate business instead of playing the role of a facilitator for parties wanting to dispose of or purchase lands. Government land should be used on a priority for providing shelter to the homeless, he said.

K. Ramakrishna (CPI) alleged that the Government paved the way for a private club to acquire 625 acres of agricultural land in Ranga Reddy district. It altered the alignment of Outer Ring Road (ORR) project according to its whims and fancies.

BJP poser

K. Laxman (BJP) asked if the eight-lane ORR was compatible with the living standards of the local people. He alleged that 4,500 of the 6,000 acres required for ORR was private land. Nayani Narasimha Reddy (TRS) said affluent sections were given exemptions in acquisition of land for ORR. D.V. Krishna Reddy (CPI-ML New Democracy) and Murahari (Socialist Unity Centre of India) also spoke.

Scene of intense political fights

Musheerabad constituency has seen intense political battles and it reflects in the small winning margins. Congress candidate T. Manemma won the seat in the byelections last year with a majority of just over 2,000 votes, while TRS leader Nayani Narsimha Reddy won it with a margin of just over 200 votes in 2004. The loser in those two elections was K. Lakshman of the BJP, who was the sitting MLA in 2004.

Dr. K. Lakshman - BJP

Why should people vote for you?

Developmental works taken up during my term will work to my advantage. Roads were laid even in small lanes which people continue to remember. Never an MLA was as accessible as I was and voters realise this after seeing the MLAs of TRS and Congress. Slums were totally neglected by this government and this constituency has considerable slum population that still fondly remembers the development done during my term.

I represent a national party that promotes national unity and not just their kin. It is time to reject parties that have only helped the organisations promote religious fanaticism.

What are you advantages?

I am young while my opponents – Manemma from Congress and Nayani Narsimha Reddy from TRS are more than 70 years in age. Moreover, Ms Manemma could gain only 2,000 votes majority in the last elections . Mr. Narsimha Reddy was never available for the local people. TDP activists will not extend their support to him as they have been eyeing the seat.

Who is your main opponent?

Both are very weak. While there is wide resentment against Mr. Narsimha Reddy, Ms. Manemma has not done anything for the constituency .

T. Manemma – Congress

Why should people vote for you?

They should support me for the continuation of the welfare measures of the Government that touched every segment. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has introduced some historic welfare programmes like Rajiv Arogyasri and pensions to various sections were enhanced like never before. The number of beneficiaries has increased with every eligible person getting the benefit.

I have taken up works worth Rs. 13 crore in the last one year and no MLA earlier had spent so much money in the constituency. People have no complaints against me or the Government, so they should vote for me.

What are your advantages?

I have been an MP twice, covering this constituency and people remember the work I did. I carry the legacy of former Chief Minister T.Anjaiah and people still remember him and see me as his representative. There is no groupism in the party and every activist is working for my success. Being a woman helps the women of this constituency to approach me directly for their grievances.

Who is your main opponent?

To be frank there is no strong opposition. Mr. Narsimha Reddy is a spent force while Mr. Lakshman’s influence is neutralised with the development.

Nayani Narsimha Reddy – TRS

Why should people vote for you?

They must vote for me for the cause of Telangana. I represent a party that was born for creation of Telangana and which ensured that people of this region were looked upon with some respect. I have been working for the Telangana cause for the last several decades. I represented the constituency several times from different parties and I have taken up several developmental works during my career.

People are suffering under the rule of the Congress Government and this reflects in high prices of essential commodities. The Chief Minister has sold Telangana lands and the beneficiaries are his own men. TRS is the only party that can serve the interests of this region and check Congress.

What are your advantages?

My close association with locals here for the last several decades is my biggest advantage. I have been active in the trade unions and industries located here and know people personally. Corruption in the Congress regime and poor image of the Congress candidate will help me. I have the support of Grand Alliance parties.

Who is your main opponent?

I am way ahead of my rivals. With TDP and Communist parties forming the Grand Alliance there is no rival factor here.

BJP ‘reaches out’ to people - Dr. K . Lakshman

Takes out padayatras in Musheerabad and other areas

At your service: BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya and senior leader K. Laxman at the padayatra taken out by the party on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State general secretary, K. Laxman, on Wednesday criticised the Congress government for its all round failure and accused it of cheating people as the promises made were not kept.

Dr. Laxman, who undertook the Maha Padayatra in Vidyanagar division on Wednesday morning, noted that the development works in Musheerabad constituency have stagnated. For the last four-and-half years, development on all fronts had come to a standstill and even amenities took a bad beating, he pointed out.

The people felt cheated as none of the election promises were kept and even the housing schemes for poor did not reach the beneficiaries, Dr. Laxman said.

The ‘padayatra’ was formally inaugurated by BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya and started at Ramalayam in Ramnagar.

The party’s Greater Hyderabad president, Chintala Ramachandra Reddy, also undertook a similar ‘Maha Padayatra’ which was started at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple of Himayathnagar and covered various slums in the vicinity.

He interacted with the local residents and enquired about problems faced by them.

Later speaking to presspersons, Mr. Reddy said contrary to the government’s proclamation on various achievements, the prevailing ground realities were different. People were facing hardships even in provision of basic amenities and the State government should immediately release Rs.1, 000 crores for the city development, he demanded.

Return of the BJP native

Full of hope: Musheerabad Assembly constituency BJP candidate K. Laxman at Indiranagar on Friday.

HYDERABAD: Sporting flashy shades, a spotless kurta-pyjama and equally clean sports shoes, Dr. K. Laxman gets down from his multi-purpose utility vehicle and grabs a drum from the performers. He tries his best to stay with the tempo of the ‘teen maar’. The party workers surrounding him are amused, but understand the stakes involved this time around.

A little ahead, Dr. Laxman meets a physically-challenged resident on a wheelchair.

Quite animated, he starts explaining about merits of his candidature. He jumps at every opportunity to criticise the previous TRS and Congress MLAs elected from Musheerabad constituency. There is a definite urgency in his campaigning style.

Perennial favourite

It’s quite understandable given the fact that it’s been a case of ‘so near yet so far’ for BJP’s Dr. K. Laxman in Musheerabad. Considered as a perennial favourite, Dr. Laxman lost twice, once to TRS candidate Nayani Narasimha Reddy by just 241 votes and recently to Manemma Anjaiah of Congress in the by elections.

In the both the elections, he emerged second best. In the hope of performing better, Dr. Laxman says he is concentrating in areas, where previous MLAs have performed well.

In those areas, Dr. Laxman uses every opportunity to criticise Congress candidate Manemma and TRS candidate Nayani Narasimha Reddy.

“Congress and TRS MLAs have cheated you. When I was your MLA, I worked hard to convert Indira Nagar into a model slum settlement. In contrast, now there are no civic amenities here,” he says to the locals of Bholakpur, which is considered to be a Congress stronghold.

This time, Musheerabad will have a three-dimesional fight between Congress, TRS and BJP.

“We are telling people not to vote for small parties like Lok Satta because they end up splitting the votes,” he says while campaigning at Bholakpur on Friday.

There have been no major changes in Musheerabad Assembly segment after the delimitation process and the constituency has over 2 lakh voters.