EC announces by-polls schedule for 18 Assembly seats

New Delhi, April 24: The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced the schedule for conducting by-elections in 18 Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat in the State. 

According to the Commission, the by-election for Nellore Lok Sabha constituency and 18 other Assembly segments in the State would be conducted on June 12.

The 18 Assembly constituencies for which the elections will be held are Tirupati, Parakala, Rayadurgam, Rayachoti, Ongole, Narasannapeta, Macherla, Ramachandrapuram, Anantapur, Pattipadu, Rajampeta , Udayagiri, Payakaraopeta,  Narsapuram, Allagadda, Polavaram, Emmiganur and Railway Kodur. Of them, by-elections for 16 constituencies was necessitated following disqualification of Congress MLAs, who switched loyalties to YSR Congress party. While erstwhile PRP MLA B Shoba Nagi Reddy resigned from Allagadda seat after joining YSR Congress, Tirupati seat fell vacant due to Chiranjeevi's resignation after his election to the Rajya Sabha.

As per the schedule, the notification for conducting by-elections would be issued on May 18. The last date for filing of nominations is May 25. The nominations will be scrutinised on May 26 and last date for withdrawal of nominations will be May 28. The counting of votes and announcement of results would be on June 15.

The Election Commission said that the Model Code of Conduct would come into force with immediate effect in 12 districts in the State.  

- INN

Eight T-Cong MPs suspended from Lok Sabha for four days

New Delhi, April 24: Eight Congress MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday for four days for disrupting the proceedings of the House demanding statehood for Telangana region.

The MPs - Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Yashki Goud, S Rajaiah, G Vivek, Balram Naik, Komatireddy Rajagopal, Manda Jaganatham and Gutta Sukender Reddy rushed to the podium as soon as the House met on Tuesday raising pro-Telangana slogans. They also demanded the introduction of Telangana Bill in the House.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister P Chidambaram were also present in the House when the MPs began protest. Having failed to restore order following protest by the Telangana MPs, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had to adjourn the House thrice.

However, when the House met again at 2 pm, the MPs continued with the slogan shouting demanding Telangana. The MPs categorically stated that they were ready to face any consequences to achieve statehood for Telangana region.

After the MPs refused to end protest, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee consulted Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav and Communist Party of India (CPI) MP Gurudas Dasgupta on the action to be taken against the MPs.

The issue was also discussed during the Congress Core Committee meeting attended by Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister, Chidambaram, Sonia's Advisor Ahmed Patel and other senior leaders.

The Congress wanted to suspend the Telangana MPs for rest of the budget session. However, the CPI opposed such a harsh action and advised that MPs be suspended for only four days. The proposal was supported by Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sharad Yadav, AIADMK leaders and even the BJP.

After the informal meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal moved the motion before the Speaker to suspend eight Telangana MPs for four days from the House.

However, the suspended MPs refused to leave the House and staged a sit-in protest against their suspension.  

- INN

CM assures financial help for Sangareddy communal riots victims

Hyderabad, April 24: Government Whip and Sangareddy MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jagga Reddy on Tuesday claimed that the State Government would provide financial assistance to the victims of Sangareddy communal clashes in the next one week.

Talking to reporters at media point of State Secretariat, Jagga Reddy informed that he met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy along with the riot victims at CM's camp office at Begumpet. He said he reminded the Chief Minister that people in the district have suffered losses of over Rs 2.5 crore during the communal clashes that occurred last month.

Responding to his plea for financial assistance, the Chief Minister reportedly assured Jagga Reddy that the State Government would release the relief funds within a week to all the victims. Kiran Kumar Reddy said that instructions have already been issued to the officials concerned to release the funds.

Jagga Reddy thanked the Chief Minister for the gesture and assured that the government would provide all assistance to the victims of communal clashes. 

- INN

Wipe out Congress to get Telagnana: BJP

Nalgonda, April 24: Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha state president Kasam Venkateshwarlu on Tuesday stated that the Telangana State could be formed only after the ruling Congress party gets wiped out from the State.

Addressing a gathering during Telangana Bharosa Yatra, Venkateswarlu accused the Congress party of cheating the people of the region since many decades on the statehood issue. He said that the Telangana State formation could be achieved with the burial of Congress party in the State. He called upon the people of region to teach a fitting lesson to Congress in the ensuing by-elections.

Reiterating that the BJP launched Bharosa yatra to prevent suicides of students and youth in the region, he exhorted the youth to continue their agitation for statehood without losing their hopes. “The Telangana state will be achieved with collective and sincere efforts,” he said.

Venkateshwarulu said that the BJP would contest in by-elections of Parakala Assembly constituency in Warangal district and repeat the same performance on the lines of Mahbubnagar Assembly segment. 

INN

Girls outperform boys in inter second year results

Hyderabad, April 24: As many as 58.43 per cent students have passed the second year intermediate examination whose results were announced here on Tuesday.

Releasing the results at the office of Board of Intermediate Education at Nampally, Secondary Education Minister K Parathasarathy informed that girls have once again outperformed boys in the inter second year exams. While 61.25 per cent girls have passed, the pass percentage of boys was 55.94 per cent. Of 756,459 regular candidates who appeared for the exam, 441,966 have passed. However, the pass percentage of private candidates was too low. Of 189,235 private candidates, only 52,972 or 27.90 per cent could clear it.

For vocational courses, the pass percentage was 53.64 per cent for regular and 23.65 per cent for private candidates.

The minister informed that as many as 549 regular and 54 vocational candidates were booked for malpractices and results have been withheld for 127 regular and 60 vocational candidates.

However, the overall results have been poor compared to the last two year. As against the pass percentage of 64.69 per cent in 2010 and 63.27 per cent in 2011, this year the pass percentage was just 58.43 per cent. Similarly, the pass percentage for vocational candidates has declined from 58.03 per cent in 2010 and 57.40 per cent in 2011 to 53.64 per cent this year.

Secondary Education Minister K Parathasarathy releases Intermediate Public Examination results - INN Photos 

This time too, Krishna topped the chart with highest pass percentage with 74 per cent followed by Visakhapatnam with 70 per cent; Chitoor (67); Guntur (66); Ranga Reddy (66); Nellore (63); West Godavari (61); Kurnool (60); Hyderabad (59); East Godavari (57); Adilabad (56); Prakasam (55); Anantapur (55); Srikakulam (54); Khammam (52); Nalgonda (52); Vizianagaram (52); Karimnagar (51); Medak (51); Kadapa (50); Mahabubnagar (47); Warangal (47) and Nizamabad had the least pass percentage of 43 per cent.

Board of Intermediate Secretary M Subramanyam informed that principal would collect Memoranda of Marks and Tabulation records from the Regional Inspection Officer on April 28 and the Memoranda of Marks would be given to the candidates. He said discrepancies if any, found in the Memorandum of Marks should be referred to the Board through concerned Principals before May 25.

The Intermediate Advance Supplementary Examinations will be held from May 23 and the last date for payment of examination fee is May 5. There is no provision of examination fee with penalty after the due date. There is no provision for Tatkal Scheme.

The candidates who wish to avail the facility of recounting and supply of photo copy-cum-Reverification of valued answer scripts will have to pay an amount of Rs 100 per paper for recounting and Rs 600 per paper for photo Copy-cum-Reverification of answer book through e-Seva or AP Online centre. The last date for online payment of fee towards Recounting/Photo Copy-cum Reverifcation is May 7. 

INN