Pawan Kalyan’s revised tour The three-day tour of Pawan Kalyan to Adilabad is revised. He will arrive at Narnoor at 10 a.m. today. Later visit Kagaznagar and proceed towards Mancherial. On Feb. 9, he will proceed to Basar via Laxmanchanda.
Cheer for PR on symbol issue
Legal Correspondent
| EC gets 3 weeks to pass fresh orders |
HYDERABAD: Praja Rajyam leaders were relieved when the A. P. High Court on Friday sent back to the Election Commission of India the issue of allotment of a common election symbol with a direction to the EC to reconsider the matter.
The Bench comprising Justice B. Prakasa Rao and Justice Bhavani Prasad was disposing of on Friday a writ petition filed by PR complaining against the EC’s action in refusing to allot a common symbol – railway engine.
The High Court directed the EC to reprocess the PR’s application in the light of the observations made in earlier judgments.
It granted three weeks time to the EC to pass fresh orders. Similar order was given in favour of Mana Party of Kasani Gnaneswar which filed a separate petition for allotment of symbol.
Appearing for the Praja Rajyam, Vedula Venkata Ramana said the EC had allotted a common symbol to the Telangana Rastra Samiti (TRS) under similar circumstances but was refusing to treat his client in the same manner. According to the rules governing the allotment of symbols, a political party would get a permanent symbol based on the votes its candidates poll in the general elections preceding the application.
These rules did not contemplate a situation where a political party which had a massive following and a huge membership comes into being between two general elections and makes an application for a common symbol. Mr. Venkata Ramana lamented that the purpose of fair, dynamic electoral process would be reduced to a mockery if a major political party is refused a symbol.
Special Correspondent adds: The state election machinery headed by Chief Electoral Officer I. V. Subba Rao is reportedly “inclined” to make a positive recommendation for such allotment if and when the EC seeks its opinion, sources said.
Will of the people The CEO, the sources added, is inclined to see the reason in the PR argument on the ground the popular following enjoyed by the PR represented will of the people, big or small, and this could not be reflected through votes properly unless a common symbol was granted.
PR confident on common symbol
Special Correspondent
HYDERABAD: Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi expressed confidence that the Election Commission would allocate a common symbol for their party candidates across the State in the general elections.
He was reacting to the High Court’s observation that the EC could reconsider the party’s application seeking a common symbol.
“We were not very worried. However, we do know that a common symbol will make things easier for the voter,” he said.
Thota Chandrasekhar, PR’s Coordinator (Membership Drive), said they had initially represented to the EC seeking a common symbol and constantly kept updating information about the party’s membership till mid-January, when it touched 50 lakh. He said that according to rules, a registered party should garner six per cent of votes and get two of its leaders elected to the Assembly. “Without an election, we could not show people’s acceptance of our party. So we had to keep the EC informed and provide proof of our membership. And then we moved the High Court, citing precedents of the Telugu Desam Party getting the cycle in 1983 and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi that was allotted the Ambassador car in 2004,” he said. Meanwhile, the Political Affairs Committee of the party met for the first time on Friday.
Chiru to begin tour from Mangalagiri
Special Correspondent
GUNTUR: Much-awaited visit of Praja Rajyam Party founder Chiranjeevi has finally been announced with the former cinema star beginning his tour from February 9 at Mangalagiri.
At a press conference here on Friday, the Praja Rajyam city convener Kilaru Roshaiah told mediapersons that the party leader was busy with several party activities with regard to manifesto, hence the visit got delayed.
Mr. Chiranjeevi would, however, tour all the 17 Assembly constituencies in the district during his six-day schedule .
The party president would arrive by a helicopter at Kantheru opposite Acharya Nagarjuna University on Monday morning and proceed to Mangalagiri, from there to Thulluru, Tadikonda and reach Guntur city by evening.
After addressing meetings in the city, he would make a night halt at Budampadu close to National Highway No.5.
He would proceed to Tenali via Narakoduru, and reach Vemuru, Ponnuru and make night halt at Chandole on the second day.
On day three he would proceed to Repalle via Cherukupalli and reach Bapatla via Karlapalem.
On day 4 he would begin his journey from Bapatla and would proceed to Kakumanu and Prattipadu.
From there he would visit Santamagaluru via Chilakaluripet and Narsaraopet.
After night halt at Santamagaluru, he would visit Vinukonda, Karempudi, Durgi, Macherla and Rentachintala, and make a night halt at Gurazala.
On the last day he would start his journey from Dachepalli and would proceed to Piduguralla, Sattenapalli, Pedakurapadu and Amaravathi.
He would leave for Hyderabad by helicopter from Amaravathi.
Meanwhile, the ward committees have been finalised in the Guntur city and women activists are visiting from door to door to campaign for the party founder’s tour in the district by applying vermilion.
