Three candidates of TDP file nominations for Rajya Sabha polls

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Amaravati, June 8 (IANS) Telugu Desam Party’s three candidates for Rajya Sabha elections filed their nominations on Monday. Sana Satish, Bashyam Ramakrishna, and Chintakayala Vijay filed their papers before the returning officer at the State Legislative Assembly.

They were accompanied by TDP leaders and workers. Before filing nominations, they visited TDP’s central office and paid tributes to party founder and Late Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao.

The TDP on Saturday announced its candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls. The party has renominated Sana Satish, who is one of the four Rajya Sabha members retiring this month. The TDP named educationist Bhashyam Ramakrishna and a younger face, Chintakayala Vijay, as the other candidates.

Under the seat-sharing arrangement among the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners, the TDP is contesting three seats, leaving the fourth seat for Jana Sena Party (JSP)

Lingamaneni Ramesh filed his nomination papers as a Rajya Sabha candidate of the JSP on Saturday.

Satish, a close associate of TDP national working president Nara Lokesh, was sent to the Upper House on a truncated term one-and-a-half years ago.

Belonging to the Kapu community, the businessman-turned-politician was aspiring for a Lok Sabha ticket in 2024. However, the party could not give him the ticket. After the coalition came to power, he was sent to the Rajya Sabha in the byelection held in December 2024 due to the resignation of Mopidevi Venkatramna of the YSR Congress Party.

Bhashyam Ramakrishna is a prominent educationalist and entrepreneur who founded the Bhashyam group, a private educational network with operations in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He is a Kamma, a socially and politically powerful caste to which TDP national president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu belongs.

Ramakrishna was an aspirant for a Lok Sabha ticket from Guntur in 2024, but the party could not nominate him due to various reasons.

Chintakayala Vijay is the son of Andhra Assembly Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu. A backward class member from north coastal Andhra, Vijay is one of the younger leaders considered close to Lokesh. He was also an aspirant for a Lok Sabha ticket from Anakapalli, but he was not given the opportunity as the TDP had to leave the seat for the BJP.

Meanwhile, Vijay said in a statement that CM Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh have proven that those who stand by the party during difficult times are duly recognised.

He stated that he would remain forever indebted to Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh for giving him the opportunity to be a Rajya Sabha candidate.

“I will uphold the trust Mr Lokesh has placed in me and discharge the new responsibilities with dedication,” he said.

“On behalf of my family, which has stood by the party since its inception, I extend my gratitude to everyone,” he added.

Elections for four Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled to be held on June 18.

The vacancies from Andhra Pradesh arose due to the retirement of Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy, Nathwani Parimal, Pilli Subhaschandra Bose, all belonging to YSR Congress Party and Sana Satish of the TDP.

The NDA is sure to win all four Rajya Sabha seats, going by its overwhelming majority in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

In the 175-member state Assembly, the TDP holds 135 seats, while its allies, Jana Sena and BJP, have 21 and 8 seats respectively. The YSR Congress Party has only 11 seats.

–IANS

ms/dpb

Related Posts

Centenary AICC session in Belagavi: Siddaramaiah warns BJP of legal action over planned Waqf protest

Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 18 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday warned the BJP that if the 100 years of historic AICC session in Belagavi is obstructed, legal action would be taken.

Speaking to reporters in the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, CM Siddaramaiah commenting on BJP’s Waqf protest coinciding with the AICC session, said, “If they attempt to obstruct the AICC session inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, legal action will be taken.”

The Congress is organising a massive national-level programme on December 26 and 27 to commemorate the event of Mahatma Gandhi becoming the AICC President and assuming the leadership role in the Independence struggle during the Belagavi Session in 1924. The BJP is planning to stage a massive protest in Belagavi in connection with the Waqf row on the same days.

“If Mahatma Gandhi had not led the freedom struggle, would we have achieved Independence? The rights we exercise today are possible only after the Constitution was enacted,” CM Siddaramaiah questioned.

He slammed, “Leaders like Golwalkar, Hedgewar and Savarkar had anti-Constitution stands. The BJP does not believe in Indian values and instead upholds the Manusmriti.”

Responding to BJP’s alleged repeated disruptions during the Belagavi session, CM Siddaramaiah said, “As the Opposition, the BJP should discuss the state’s development and government shortcomings. However, they are using the session for political purposes.”

Responding to BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra’s demand to hand over the Rs 150 crore bribery case against him and Waqf cases to the CBI, Siddaramaiah asked, “From 2008 to 2013 and 2018 to 2023, did the BJP hand over any cases to the CBI? They lack the moral ground to make such demands.”

Siddaramaiah further declared that there is no question of stopping the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, which empowers women both economically and socially. He also met and interacted with Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries who had gathered at the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi on Wednesday.

“I interacted with more than 25 beneficiaries who have used the funds from the Gruha Lakshmi scheme to create various opportunities for their lives. The beneficiaries detailed the benefits brought by the scheme. They expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister, concerned ministers, and the government for implementing this initiative that has brought new energy to their lives,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

He dismissed BJP’s allegation that the scheme has created disputes between daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law within households. “Today, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law attended the programme together in large numbers and spoke positively about the benefits they received from the scheme.”

“It is heartening to see women becoming economically and socially empowered through this initiative. Therefore, we will continue this scheme to strengthen women,” the Chief Minister added.

Responding to the media regarding BJP MLAs meeting him, Siddaramaiah said they had requested for the development of roads in Bengaluru city.

–IANS

mka/uk

Indian diaspora elated as PM Modi connects with Mauritius during historic visit

Mauritius, March 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in Port Louis on Tuesday morning sparked an outpouring of excitement and pride among the Indian diaspora in Mauritius.

The two-day visit, aimed at reinforcing the strong ties between India and Mauritius, has been met with enthusiasm, as PM Modi engaged with the community and attended various events to deepen bilateral relations.

IANS spoke to several members of the Indian diaspora, each expressing their pride and excitement at the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister.

One attendee shared, “This is such a proud moment for all of us. We’re living here in Mauritius, and the anticipation of meeting PM Modi is overwhelming. The bond between India and Mauritius has always been strong, but with his visit, we can already feel it growing even stronger. His leadership has transformed India into a powerful nation, and it’s heartening to know that Mauritius is benefiting from India’s progress as well. We hope this visit will pave the way for even greater collaboration between our nations.”

Another attendee, Anju Bhagat Rajkumar from Toronto, was thrilled to follow PM Modi on his travels.

“I’ve met him in Odisha, at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, and now in Mauritius. As a Mauritian, it’s a matter of immense pride for us to have a leader like PM Modi visiting our island. The collaboration between India and Mauritius has brought positive changes, especially in healthcare and finances. The way PM Modi is leading India, with a focus on future growth, is inspiring, and we can see the fruits of his policies here in Mauritius.”

For many, this was their first opportunity to meet PM Modi in person, and the excitement was visible.

One woman remarked, “I’ve admired PM Modi for so long, and today I get to meet him. He’s such an inspiration to all of us, a true role model.”

Uday Niketan added, “We’ve waited for this moment for so long. PM Modi isn’t just a great leader for India, but for the entire world. His influence is felt globally.”

The Prime Minister’s visit comes at a significant time, as he prepares to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius on March 12 as the Chief Guest.

This visit marks his first to Mauritius since 2015, when he unveiled India’s Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

His visit underscores the importance of ongoing cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, further cementing the deep bond between India and Mauritius.

The enthusiasm of the Indian diaspora reflects their hope for an even brighter future together.

–IANS

jk/khz

R.G. Kar rape-murder case: Convict Sanjay Roy approaches Calcutta HC challenging life imprisonment order by trial court

Kolkata, July 9 (IANS) Civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the R.G. Kar rape and murder case, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in Kolkata in January this year, on Wednesday, approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the trial court order and seeking complete acquittal from all the charges in the case.

The petition has been admitted and the matter is expected to come up for its first hearing at the Calcutta High Court’s division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi next week and most likely on Monday.

Soon after the trial court in Kolkata pronounced life imprisonment in January this year, his counsel, who was appointed to represent him by the State Legal Aid Services, claimed that they would be challenging the trial court’s decision at the Calcutta High Court.

Now after five months since the life sentence was announced, Roy’s counsel has approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the trial court order.

The body of the woman junior doctor of the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata was recovered from a seminar hall within the hospital premises in the morning of August 9 last year.

Initially, Kolkata Police took over the investigation and arrested Roy.

Later, the CBI took over the investigation in the matter following an order of the Calcutta High Court.

After a prolonged investigation, CBI also identified him as the prime accused in connection with the R.G. Kar rape and murder case.

During the period of investigation, although CBI arrested the former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh and the former officer-in-charge of Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, on charges of tampering with and altering the evidence in the case.

However, both Ghosh and Mondal were granted “default bail” by the trial court as CBI failed to file supplementary charge sheets against both of them in the matter.

After a prolonged hearing in the matter for months, finally, the trial court first convicted Sanjay Roy for committing the crime of rape and murder and then sentenced him to life imprisonment in January this year.

Meanwhile, CBI has also approached the Calcutta High Court seeking a death sentence for Roy.

–IANS

src/khz