Assembly by-polls in Telangana region Tuesday

Hyderabad, July 26: By-elections to 12 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region will be held Tuesday that will see ballot papers being used in five constituencies after many years.About 23.60 lakh voters, nearly half of them women, are eligible to cast their votes at 2,783 polling stations in the constituencies spread over five districts. As many as 435 candidates are in the fray for the by-elections, which are being fought on the issue of separate statehood to Telangana region. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) I.V. Subba Rao told reporters Monday that all efforts were being made to ensure free and fair polls. Election authorities have deployed 68,000 security personnel to maintain law and order while 15,000 employees have been drafted for poll duty. The mass resignations of all 10 legislators of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and one each of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on the issue of separate Telangana necessitated the by-elections. For the first time in many years, the poll authorities will be using ballot papers in five constituencies since more than 64 candidates are in the fray. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be deployed in the remaining segments. TRS, whose demand for use of ballot papers in all constituencies was rejected by the Election Commission, made many independents file nominations to force the panel to use ballot paper. The EVMs cannot contain so many names. However, the nominations of many independents were either rejected or they withdrew from the contest in seven constituencies. Poll authorities have printed 20 lakh ballot papers and 1,500 ballot boxes. Due to incessant rains in the region, the authorities have supplied poll material to remote villages by helicopters. TRS appears to be ahead in the three-cornered contest in at least 10 constituencies. All the 10 legislators of the party, who quit for Telangana, are contesting again. The party is supporting the BJP in Nizamabad Urban where the ruling Congress has fielded its state unit chief D. Srinivas.
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Rajani to participate in moharrum procession

Hyderabad, Jul 26 : Elephant ''Rajani'' will participate in the Bonalu and Moharrum processions in the twin cites of Hyderabad and Secunderabad this year.The Andhra Pradesh Government has ordered that the elephant Rajani will participate in Bonalu procession of Ujjani Mahankali Temple, Secunderabad, and Sri Akkanna Madanna Temple of Old City on August 2.APCC General Secretary G Niranjan and President Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Mandiram, in a statement to the press today, thanked the State Government and Forest Minister Dr P Ramachandra Reddy for issuing orders to provide elephant from Nehru Zoological Park for Bonalu and Moharrum Processions this year.
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Second edition of SOLARCON at Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Jul 26 : The second edition of SOLARCON India 2010, India's largest and most successful solar event, will begin from July 28 at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) here.According to a press release today, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah will preside over the inaugural function of the three-day international conference. Eminent global experts from the industry, academia and the government will discuss opportunities and challenges to make India a global leader in solar energy sector. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah will be the Chief Guest and Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy will be the Guest of Honour.SOLARCON India 2010 will focus on the recently launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) which has set an ambitious target of 20,000 Megawatts (MW) of solar generated power by 2022 and aims at establishing India as a global leader in solar energy. The event includes a best-in-class exhibition bringing together leading global and India Solar-PV players from the entire ecosystem to help build a robust PV supply chain to meet the ambitious goals of the JNNSM.In its inaugural year, SOLARCON India 2009 was held at the same venue in Hyderabad, attracting over 3,500 professional visitors, 600 conference delegates and participation from 68 companies worldwide, the release  added ===============================================

Hearing on charges against Satyam accused deferred till Jul 29

Hyderabad, Jul 26 : The examination and hearing of charges against the ten accused in the multi-crore Satyam Accounting Fraud Case was today deferred till July 29.XXI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate adjourned the case regarding the fudging books of account of the company against the ten accused, including Former Satyam Chairman B Ramalinga Raju. Of the ten accused, nine, who were out on bail, were present in the court while the main accused Raju, who was in judicial remand, was undergoing treatment for Hepatitis-C at the Nizam Institute of Medical Science (NIMS). The Magistrate described as 'unwarranted and not maintainable' the discharge petitions filed by two of the accused, Srisailam and Suryanarayana Raju, the brother of Ramalinga Raju.
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Opposing illegal dam construction is our right: Naidu

New Delhi, July 26 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu Monday said it was his right to oppose the 'illegal dam construction' over Godavari river, dismissing allegations that he was using the Babhali dam issue for political gains. He added that he would be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."We oppose the illegal dam construction over river Godavari. It is our right as the illegal construction affects the lives of people in our state. Then how will it become a political issue?" Naidu told IANS when asked about Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan's allegations. "I will meet the PM at 5 p.m.," Naidu told reporters outside parliament. Chavan had termed as "political" and "unnecessary" Naidu's march to Nanded in Maharashtra for which he was taken into police custody. "Naidu's actions are political as assembly by-elections have been declared in the neighbouring state (Andhra Pradesh)," Chavan had earlier told reporters after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi here. Meanwhile, Janata Dal-Secular leader and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda and AIADMK leader M. Thampi Durai met Naidu at the TDP office in parliament house and discussed the strategy for a joint move in parliament against alleged illegal mining the Reddy brothers in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, "illegal construction" of Babhali dam in Maharashtra and the 2G spectrum allocation scam allegedly involving IT and Communication Minister A. Raja. "We (TDP) have the support of the JD-S and AIADMK and the Left parties in our fight against the illegal construction of Babhali dam across the Godavari river in Maharashtra by the Congress government," said Naidu. Andhra Pradesh has been protesting the construction of the Babhali dam, which it says is being built in violation of the river water sharing agreements and would prove detrimental to its interests. The row over the Babhali dam had created tension last week when Maharashtra Police arrested Naidu and 74 other TDP leaders while they were proceeding towards the dam. They remained in judicial custody for four days before being forcibly sent back to Hyderabad by a chartered flight. TDP leader Nama Nageshwara Rao told , JD-S and the AIADMK, with the support of the Left parties, have decided to put up a joint front in parliament. "We had met CPI (Communist Party of India) leader A.B. Bardhan and discussed the issues. We will also meet CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat," Rao said.
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