Pictures of the Week 11th - 17th April

Setback to Narendra Modi, Congress wins maiden civic poll in Gandhinagar

The Congress on Thursday won 18 out of 33 seats that went to polls on April 19 for the newly-constituted Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC).

The maiden contest for 33 GMC seats was a keenly-contested battle between ruling the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Opposition Congress as Gandhinagar parliamentary seat has been represented by senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani.

This victory of the Congress is being seen as a major setback to the BJP in general and Narendra Modi in particular.

Senior Congress leader Narhari Amin, ecstatic after the final tally of 18 and 15 between Congress and BJP respectively, said, "The people of Gandhinagar have voted against the Modi government. Congress has started year 2011 with hoisting victory flag in state capital Gandhinagar."

This is the beginning of end to Modi rule and will be reflected in 2012 Assembly polls. GMC elections have indicated that people want change, he said.

One hundred and sixteen candidates contested for 33 seats spread across 11 wards of the civic body which was formed following the Gujarat High Court order of September 17, 2009.

Gandhinagar was a notified area administered by the state government before it announced formation of the municipal corporation on March 17, 2010.

Out of eight municipal corporations of the state, Congress is now ruling two while BJP in six. Sixty per cent polling was registered for the civic poll that passed off almost peacefully, barring a stray incident of a verbal spat between the Congress and BJP worker.

Roja claims she can read people's mind!

Those who observe glamour queen-turned-politician R Roja speaking in front of camera of the electronic media can find an interesting aspect in her statements. She makes an observation and attributes it to the people. “Prajalu artham chesukuntunnaru; Prajalaki telusu evaru elantivaaro; Prajalu buddhi cheputaaru,” are her clichéd words in all her statements.

After she joined hands with the YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Roja has been saying that the people has approved whatever Jagan is doing and that they will teach a fitting lesson for his rivals. On Thursday, too, Roja made a similar comment on Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi’s proposed campaign in Kadapa by-elections.

She said “people have fully understood” the double standards of Chiranjeevi, who got 18 seats by criticizing the Congress in the 2009 elections and was now campaigning for the same party. “In fact, Chiranjeevi’s campaign will do more harm than benefit to the Congress party. It will help only Jagan. The people will question Chiranjeevi for merging his party with the Congress and are ready to teach a fitting lesson to the opportunistic alliance of the Congress and the PRP,” she said.

Well, Roja can read the mind of voters in tune with the party she is affiliated to. In the past, she made a similar comments in support of the TDP!

Pro-Jagan MLAs planning mass resignations?

In a bid to counter the disqualification move, the pro-Jagan Congress MLAs are planning to submit en mass resignations to precipitate a political crisis in the ruling party.

The action is expected to come soon after the by-elections in Kadapa district. An indication to this effect was given by hardcore Jagan loyalist Balineni Srinivas Reddy on Thursday, after the Congress leadership slapped show-cause notices on four rebel legislators.

"There is no question of changing our stand. We will show our strength soon," Srinivas Reddy said. The Jagan camp is mulling over the modality of the resignation strategy. It is not clear whether all his followers will resign at once or do it in phases.

If all the legislators win fresh public mandate in the by-elections after the en mass resignations, it will be a slap on the face of the ruling party and will trigger mass exodus, it is argued by Jagan supporters.

Meanwhile, after much dilly-dallying, the Congress has issued show-cause notices to four pro-Jagan legislators-- Adinarayana Reddy, (Jammalamadugu), Srikanth Reddy (Rayachoti), Konda Surekha (Parakala) and Amarnath Reddy (Rajampet).

In its notice served on Thursday, the APCC has asked the rebels to explain why action should not be taken against them for deserting the party on which they were elected and backing another political party.

The MLAs have been asked to reply to the notices within a week. The notices were a prelude to the petition to be submitted before the Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar, seeking disqualification of the pro-Jagan MLAs. This is only the beginning. Action will be initiated against the rebels in phases.

Sathya Sai Baba critical, doctors making last ditch efforts

The condition of godman Sathya Sai Baba continued to deteriorate further on Thursday. Revenue Minister Raghuveera Reddy, who held discussions with doctors treating him, later told media persons that Sai Baba was highly critical and doctors are making their last ditch efforts bad. "His health condition's ion is really bad. All the vital organs are affected.

Doctors are making their last ditch efforts to revive him,” the minister, who hails from Anantapur district (Puttaparthi is part of the district) and is one of the two ministers deputed by government to coordinate the treatment of Sathya Sai, said.

The Minister pointed out that the doctors are doing all they can but “you have to appreciate that he is 85 years old and age is not on his side’. The minister also briefed the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy about the development.

Soon after the Chief minister convened a high-level meeting of officials to discuss the emerging situation. The Director General Police Arvind Rao and Chief secretary SV Prasad attended the meeting.

It was decided to tighten security in Puttaparthi town (with population of 26000) keeping in view the large number of devotees who are expected to reach today and tomorrow. Hundreds of devotees have already reached the small town by bus, train and whatever means and offered prayers seeking Sai Baba`s recovery.

Police have imposed prohibitory orders in the area and erected check post in all entry and exit points from the town and all visitors are being checked. Prohibitory orders have been imposed under section 144 of the Indian Penal Code, banning assembly of five or more persons in the town.

Official sources at Hyderabad said that Industry Minister Geeta Reddy, Principal secretary Subrahmanyam were camping in the hospital. The district magistrate and Superintendent of police were also camping in the town.

Meanwhile the members of the Sathya Sai Central Trust, the apex body controlling the vast empire have arrived in Puttaparthi for an emergency meeting. The meeting is expected to discuss various issues including sucession.