VIJAYAWADA: TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday appealed to Governor S Abdul Nazeer to initiate immediate measures to stop the process of upgradation of e-office of the State government. In a letter addressed to the Governor on Thursday, copies of which were sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, Chief Electoral Officer, Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary of Finance Department and Principal Secretary of General Administration Department, the TDP chief stated that the government is

VISAKHAPATNAM: Heavy rain swept through isolated areas of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) and Rayalaseema, along with a few spots in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalle on Thursday. The downpour brought a significant drop in temperature, offering much-needed relief from the hot and humid weather conditions. Among the notable rainfall figures, Ongole district recorded the highest precipitation with 50.5 mm, followed by Nandikotkur in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district at 48.5 mm, and Konidela in N

VIJAYAWADA: MLC Janga Krishna Murthy has been disqualified as the Member of Legislative Council following his rebellion against the YSRC leadership. The YSRC BC cell president aspired for MLA ticket, but was denied the same. Following this, Janga extended his support to the TDP, attracting the ire of YSRC leadership, which complained to the Council Chairman against him. As per the Gazette notification issued on May 15, based on the petition filed by Government Whip and MLC Lella Appi Reddy, Coun

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Under the guidance of the Commissionerate of Collegiate Education (CCE), a training programme on Generation of Creative E- Content for faculty of various degree colleges across the State commenced at Rajamahendravaram Government College on Thursday. Commissioner of Collegiate Education Dr Pola Bhaskar inaugurated the programme and on the occasion, he emphasised the importance of integrating technological advancements into education to make the activity of learning more engagin

TIRUPATI: SVU Campus Police have arrested 13 persons for their alleged involvement in the attack on Pulivarthi Venkata Mani Prasad (Nani), TDP candidate of Chandragiri Assembly constituency. Nani was attacked on the premises of Sri Padmavati Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam on Tuesday when he went to inspect the strong room on the university campus. According to police, Nani was confronted and attacked by a group led by V Bhanu Kumar Reddy and N Ganapati Reddy at the main gate of the university. They ass

VIJAYAWADA: Special Chief Secretary (Health, Medical and Family Welfare) MT Krishna Babu announced that the Department of Health is implementing robust measures to prevent dengue in the State. On the occasion of National Dengue Day, he unveiled posters to create awareness among the public on dengue disease under the auspices of the department at headquarters in Mangalagiri on Thursday. Addressing the gathering, he emphasised the importance of collecting blood samples from suspected dengue fever

VIJAYAWADA: NTR District Collector S Dilli Rao highlighted the significance of the Information and Public Relations Department in ensuring government programmes reach the public effectively. He emphasised the importance of photography in conveying messages and memories and said, One photograph is worth a thousand words. At a programme organised in his office on Thursday, he handed over a Nikon D850 model camera to officials of the Information and Public Relations Department (I&PRD). He underscor

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) is gearing up for the third season of the Andhra Premier League (APL). Following the successful organisation of the previous two editions, ACA is set to continue the league with six teams. ACA secretary SR Gopinath Reddy confirmed the participation of six teams: the Bejawada Tigers, Uttarandhra Lions, Godavari Titans, Rayalaseema Kings, Vizag Warriors, and Coastal Raiders. A total of 19 matches will take place between these teams, hosted in Kad

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Education Botcha Satyanarayana has said YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of the State in Visakhapatnam on June 9 after the election results are announced on June 4. Speaking to mediapersons in Vijayawada on Thursday, he asserted that the people want Jagan to continue as the Chief Minister as he is committed to the effective implementation of welfare schemes. Hence, they turned up in large numbers at the polling stations to give their massive ma

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court directed the government to take all possible measures to maintain law and order in the State and ensure that there is no violence. The court on Thursday heard a petition filed by N Ramakoteswara Rao of Kothapet in Palnadu seeking directions for the deployment of additional forces in the violence-hit district to ensure peace. The petitioner maintained that the police did not take any concrete steps to prevent post-poll violence in Palnadu. Petitioners cou

VIJAYAWADA: Tense situation continued to prevail in Palnadu region on Thursday. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC are in force to thwart any untoward incidents. Police carried out cordon and search operations at various problematic places in the district. Uneasy calm prevails in Palnadu and Tirupati As violence that broke out on the polling day continued on Tuesday and Wednesday, special forces were deployed in the district to prevent clashes between TDP and YSRC cadres. Shops and bus

ONGOLE: Former minister and Ongole sitting MLA Balineni Srinivasa Reddy on Wednesday said that the record polling percentage in Prakasam district was indicative of the groundswell for Chief Minister YS Jagan Moahn Reddy for his welfare and development schemes. Speaking to mediapersons here, he said that the unusually high turnout at polling stations has reinforced the partys belief that the YSRC was romping home with a huge majority. He said, We thank one and all who supported us and blessed us.

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Sir Arthur Cotton was a great irrigation engineer and pioneer who transformed the Godavari districts into the rice bowl of India, said BJP State president and Rajamahendravaram MP candidate Daggubati Purandeswari. Commemorating the 221st birth anniversary of Sir Arthur Cotton on Wednesday, she garlanded his statue at the Cotton Barrage. Speaking on the occasion, the BJP leader said, Sir Arthur devoted his life to the construction of irrigation and navigation canals throughout

VIJAYAWADA: JNTU Kakinada, representing the Andhra Pradesh State Council for Higher Education (APSCHE), has finalised all arrangements for the Andhra Pradesh Engineering, Agriculture & Pharmacy Common Entrance Test (AP EAPCET), slated to begin on May 16. More than 3.61 lakh students, including 2,73,008 students from the MPC stream and 87,421 students from the Bi.PC stream, are expected to appear for the online examination. AP State Council for Higher Education (APSCHE) chairman Prof K Hemachandr

VIJAYAWADA: The efforts of the Systematic Voters Education Electoral Participation (SVEEP) team in Eluru district have yielded remarkable results, with a significant increase in voter turnout recorded during the general elections held on May 13. SVEEP Nodal Officer and District Grama Panchayat Officer Tutika Srinivasa Viswanadh highlighted the success of awareness programmes conducted in the district, which contributed to the enhanced participation of voters. According to him, in the 2019 electi

VIJAYAWADA: As per the directions of the Central government, all the government departments in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled for upgradation to e-Office 7.x software from May 17 to 25. The e-Office Project aims to enhance transparency and efficiency in government processes and service delivery. Managed and maintained by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the e-Office undergoes periodic updates to address technical limitations and enhance functionality. With NIC overseeing the upgradation proc

VISAKHAPATNAM: People of Jajulabanda, a hilltop village in Mulapeta panchayat of Koyyuru mandal in Alluri Sitarama Raju district, face severe hardship due to incomplete road projects and mismanagement of funds allocated for rural connectivity. Access to essential services, particularly medical care, remains a significant concern for the villagers as reaching Arla panchayat, where ambulance service is available, necessitates navigating a treacherous 6 km descent along rough and hilly terrain. Des

VIJAYAWADA: Fear of defeat made Jagan to implement his plan Bresorting to violence in polling booths, alleged TDP leaders Varla Ramaiah, Nakka Ananda Babu, Sri Krishna Devarayulu, Janga Krishna Murthy, and Devineni Uma. Speaking to mediapersons, they asserted that people have already decided to dethrone Jagan Mohan Reddys party and the overwhelming polling clearly shows it. TDP leaders asserted that to ensure his victory, Jagan created obstacles for the voters from reaching polling booth to exer

VIJAYAWADA: TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday complained with the Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena holding a party in the Nagarjuna University Campus, which is one of the strong rooms to store the EVMs till June 4. In his written complaint, the TDP chief said ECI has given strict guidelines regarding the security of strong rooms relating to EVMs after elections. The instructions, inter alia, provide that: No Vehicle, including that of any official or ministers or any other pol

VIJAYAWADA: The YSRC has filed a formal complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner pertaining to the biased conduct of the Special Police Observer in the Andhra Pradesh elections. YSRC general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy alleged bias of the Election Commission and negligence by police in combating TDP-unleashed attacks. Speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday, he said TDP resorted to violence to disrupt polling. He expressed concern over the transfer of 29 officers, predominantly polic

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has recorded 80.66% polling, which is the highest than any other State that went to polling in the first four phases of elections in the country. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena said when 1.1% of the postal ballot is added, the total polling in the State comes to 81.86%. The highest polling in the Assembly constituencies happened in Darsi at 90.91%, while the lowest voter turnout was reported in Tirupati at 63.32%.

GUNTUR/TIRUPATI: An uneasy calm prevailed in Palnadu district after clashes between YSRC and TDP workers were reported in several places, including Narasaraopet, Gurazala, Macherla, and Sattenapalli Assembly constituencies, on Monday and Tuesday. Normal life was affected as CrPC Section 144 was still in place and police took complete control of the district by deploying additional forces. As a precautionary measure, influential leaders of both parties in all constituencies were put under house a

VISAKHAPATNAM: In over a period of around 22 years, Andhra Pradesh has lost 39.5 thousand hectares (Kha) of tree cover, emitting 20.7 metric tonnes (MT) of CO2 equivalents. As per reports by the Global Forest Watch (GFW), of the total, the State has lost 1.31 kha for tree cover to forest fires from 2001 to 2023. The year with the most tree cover loss due to fires during this period was 2009 with 189 ha lost to fires7.4% of all tree cover loss for that year. It is worth noting that, between May 1

VIJAYAWADA: A cautious optimism is evident in both the YSRC and NDA camps following a record polling of 81.86% in the State for the general elections held on May 13 for both the Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha. Despite assertions of victory in the elections, the celebratory mood seems to be missing in both camps, as no one is sure as to which way the vote of the people of Andhra will swing and how much difference the 1.5% increase in the voter turnout compared to the 2019 elections will m

NEW DELHI: Taking cognisance of post-poll violence in Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission of India has summoned the state's chief secretary and the DGP on Thursday to personally explain the administration's failure to contain the incidents, sources said. Reminding the state government that the Model Code of Conduct is still in force, the EC also asked the chief secretary and the police chief to ensure such incidents are not repeated. The Commission has repeatedly emphasised that there is no

VIJAYAWADA: The government schools in the State have achieved remarkable success in the CBSE examination, announced the Board in New Delhi on Monday. Particularly, the Vijayawada region, which encompasses Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, secured the second-highest pass percentage across the country. This achievement marks the debut results of the region, set up in Vijayawada in 2023. According to statistics shared by Regional Officer of CBSE Shekhar Chandra, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) schools

VIJAYAWADA: The Principal Secretary of the School Education Department, Praveen Prakash, revealed that a total of 2,379 future skills experts will be selected and deployed in 7,094 government high schools across the State by June 12. This initiative aims to equip students with the necessary skills to compete globally in embracing technology and future opportunities. Praveen Prakash, in a release on Tuesday, stated that fourth-year engineering students will be chosen as the future skills experts

VIJAYAWADA: Results for Andhra Pradesh Residential Schools Common Admission Test (APRS CAT-2024) and AP Residential Junior & Degree Colleges Common Entrance Test (APRJC & DC CET-2024) were officially announced by School Education Commissioner S Suresh Kumar, APREIS Secretary R Narasimha Rao on Tuesday. The entrance tests were held across all district headquarters in Andhra Pradesh to facilitate admissions into various academic programmes. The APRS CAT caters to admissions into Classes 5th to 8th

ONGOLE: The poll percentage of Ongole parliament constituency was recorded 87.17% in the 2024 elections. Santhanuthalapadu (SN Padu) Assembly constituency also reported a record level of 87.55% voter turnout. According to Prakasam district election officer and Collector AS Dinesh Kumar, polling in several assembly segments lasted until 11 pm on Monday. The polling staff, along with the closed-off EVMs, VVPATs, and other polling material, reached their corresponding reception centres in the early

VIJAYAWADA: Gurazala YSRC MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy on Tuesday demanded the arrest of the TDP leaders who allegedly resorted to the late Monday night attacks on the residents of Kota Ganesunipadu of Palnadu district. He urged the Range IG and District SP to take action and arrest the TDP leaders involved in the attacks within 24 hours. Stating that the TDP leaders incited violence, vandalising homes and injured some of the locals, the MLA said that the residences belonging to BC communities were tar

VIJAYAWADA: The Enforcement Directorate, Hyderabad on Tuesday filed its Prosecution Complaint (PC) against former MLA and TDP leader JC Prabhakar Reddy and others in the BS-IV vehicle scam. The PC was filed against a total of 17 people and entities before the Special Court for PMLA cases at Visakhapatnam under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. According to the ED, the Supreme Court had in March, 2017 ordered that vehicles that are not compliant with BS-IV emi

VIJAYAWADA: TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu strongly condemned the attack on the party candidate for the Chandragiri Assembly constituency by YSRC activists and also denounced the violence in Macherla and Tadipatri Assembly constituencies. He sought the Election Commission of India to intervene and take immediate action. Naidu, who is in Varanasi to accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi in filing a nomination for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday, called on DGP Harish Gupta and exp

NALGONDA: With the conclusion of polling for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, traffic on National Highway 65 has surged prompting authorities to implement safety measures. To ensure road safety, heavy cranes and ambulances have been stationed every 30 kilometres along with police patrolling from Choutuppal mandal Malkapur to Nandigama, the starting point of NH 65. GMR toll plaza manager S Sridhar said that while 35,000 vehicles travel towards Hyderabad daily, an additional

VIJAYAWADA: Post-poll violence broke out in several parts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday keeping the police on their toes. Clashes between supporters of rival political parties have been reported in places including Tirupati, Tadipatri and the politically sensitive Palnadu region. In Tirupati's Chandragiri constituency, TDP MLA Pulivarthi Nani was inspecting the strongroom at Sri Padmavathi Mahila University when assailants, allegedly YSRC supporters, intercepted his vehicle and hurled empty beer

VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada region with both Telugu states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana emerged as a frontrunner, securing the second position in region-wise pass percentages in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class XII and X results announced on Monday. Trivandrum claimed the top spot, while Chennai and Bengaluru closely followed in the third and fourth places across both classes. According to the CBSE Vijayawada Regional Officer, Shekhar Chandra, the overall pass percentage for Clas

VIJAYAWADA: As of midnight, Andhra Pradesh recorded 78.36% voter turnout, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). Speaking to media persons on Monday evening, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena announced that 68.04% of polling was recorded as of 5 pm. He hoped that the poll percentage would increase further as a large number of people were still waiting to cast their votes. I am optimistic that the poll percentage will be more in comparison to the last elections, he sa

VIJAYAWADA: Thanking the voters for turning up in large numbers to exercise their franchise, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu said the people extended their support to the NDA as they understood that the TDP, JSP and BJP formed as an alliance in the larger interests of the State. Its a historic day for Andhra Pradesh today! The enthusiasm and determination of our people is inspirational. People continue to turn up in long queues to exercise their Right to Vote, Naidu stated in a post on social me

VIZIANAGARAM: People of Bhogarajapuram in Dattirajeru mandal of the district boycotted elections on Monday, demanding road connectivity to their hamlet. About 205 voters of the village stayed away from voting. Though the district officials tried to convince the villagers to cast their votes, they made it clear that until they got a clear assurance from the State government on construction of the road, they would not exercise their franchise. Hence, the polling staff reportedly returned without c

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a bid to encourage voter turnout in the elections, a salon owner in Kancharapalem offered free haircut to people who exercise their franchise. M Radha Krishna, who has been running the salon for a decade, came up with the initiative as part of his commitment to social service. Krishnas salon has been involved in various charitable activities, including providing free haircut to children in orphanages and offering foot massage to devotees during the Simhachalam Giri Pradakshina.

MUMBAI: The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has refused to quash a case against former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and TDP leader Nakka Ananda Babu for allegedly assaulting police personnel in Maharashtra in 2010. A division bench of Justices Mangesh Patil and Shailesh Brahme in its judgement on May 10 said it has o manner of doubt that there is enough material to reveal complicity of both Naidu and Babu in the commission of the alleged crime. The court dismissed

KAKINADA: Though the attempt of political parties to lure the electorate with cash and kind has reportedly gone rampant across the State, Kothapet Assembly constituency in Konaseema district and Pithapuram segment in Kakinada district have witnessed series of protests from the voters when the YSRC activists allegedly fail to give the promised money to the voters. In Kothapet, though the party reportedly distributed sarees to the women to win their support, the people allegedly threw the gifts at

VIJAYAWADA: The Department of Labour is taking necessary actions to facilitate the upcoming elections following the electoral procedures outlined in the Andhra Pradesh Shops and Establishments Act, 1988 and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, said AP Labour Commissioner MV Seshagiri Babu. In preparation for the AP Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha elections scheduled for Monday, the Department of Labour under the authority vested in Section 31 (2) of the AP Shops and Establishments Act,

VIJAYAWADA: Light to moderate rains lashed in isolated parts across the State on Sunday. The highest rainfall of 3.1 cm was reported at Anaparthy of East Godavari district followed by 3 cm rain in Alamuru of Ambedkar Konaseema district. The daytime temperatures continued to dip, below 40 degree Celsius scale, in most of the places in Andhra Pradesh following the overcast sky conditions. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gus

VIJAYAWADA: Our top priority is ensuring the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process, asserted District Election Officer and Krishna District Collector DK Balaji. He inspected the counting centre at Krishna University on Sunday ahead of elections. The Collector was accompanied by Machilipatnam Parliament General Observer John Kingsly and inspected the setup of reception centres, strong rooms and vehicle parking areas designated for various constituencies. Emphasising the importance of

KURNOOL: A day after film actor Allu Arjuns visit to Nandyal YSRC MLA candidate Silpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy, citing violation of Model Code of Conduct, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the Director general of police to take necessary action against the SP and other officials concerned. On Saturday, Allu Arjun along with his wife Sneha Reddy visited his friend Ravichandra Kishore Reddy. This sudden visit of the film actor has gathered a huge number of fans and YSRC activ

VIJAYAWADA: YSRC general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy alleged that the TDP had conspired to instigate violence in important constituencies in the State on the polling day, and through media requested the Election Commission to initiate measures to prevent such incidents. In a press release on Sunday, Sajjala said TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu had directed his party leaders to cause disturbance during polling and take advantage of it through his friendly media to influence the voters. He s

KAKINADA: Villagers of Nagulapalli in Kakinada district have decided to drop the idea of boycotting to cast their votes on May 13 after the election officials assured them of supplying drinking water until the polling ends. Earlier, the villagers decided to boycott the polling, citing the lack of drinking water supply to their village, as a form of protest, on Sunday. Despite several appeals to the officials concerned, the conditions in Nagulapalli village did not see any improvement. On Sunday,

TIRUPATI: Tirupati district election machinery has ramped up efforts to prevent any instances of bogus voting and ensure the smooth conduct of the polling process. District Collector and Election Officer Pravin Kumar issued a stern warning, stating that pilgrims visiting the temple city to pay homage at the Venkateswara Swamy shrine in Tirumala must provide evidence justifying their visit upon inquiry. He emphasised that any individual found to have undertaken the pilgrimage with the ulterior mo

VIZIANAGARAM: The residents of Bhogarajapuram announced a boycott on the polling day, Monday, accusing the State government of neglecting to lay the road to their village in Dattirajeru mandal in the district. At least 205 voters refused to collect the voter slips from the local Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Though the district officials tried to convince the voters to utilise the vote, they reportedly refused to cast their votes until they got a clear assurance from the State government. Therefo

GUNTUR: The police department is on high alert to ensure peaceful polling in the faction-ridden Palnadu district. Out of the total 1,929 polling stations in the district, 558 are considered critical polling stations. To prevent any untoward incidents, over 6,000 personnel from central forces have been deployed to Palnadu district. In addition to special forces from 19 companies, additional forces from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have also been deployed. Officials are conducting cordon and search op