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Hyderabad businessman robbed of Rs 1 crore in jewellery and cash by watchman, 3 others

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Crime
The Hyderabad police have launched a manhunt to nab the watchman and his wife, and their two accomplices.
A Hyderabad-based businessman was reportedly robbed of Rs 1 crore worth of cash, diamonds and gold jewellery on Saturday, allegedly by the watchman and the watchman's wife. The Hyderabad police have launched a manhunt to nab the couple and their two accomplices.   Sunil Kumar Agarwal, a steel trader and resident of Abids, had gone out for dinner with his family on Saturday night, upon returning home they found the doors of the house were broken and items were stolen, according to reports. The police investigation revealed that his watchman Vikas and his wife Maya along with two accomplices were behind the robbery, according to the Times of India. CCTV footage from nearby locations showed the four of them fleeing in an auto rickshaw.   Vikas had joined as a watchman and his wife Maya as a domestic help at Sunil's residence just two months ago. According to Times of India, Sunil told police that the couple were polite and caring in their attitude. They had also allegedly refused the mobile gift from Sunil as the couple supposedly lived a simple life. The couple had been living in a two-room servant quarter on the ground floor of Sunil's residence, reports say.  Abids police reconstructed how the couple from Nepal carried out the robbery. Vikas and Maya were joined by two others soon after Sunil and his family left for dinner. Using a rod, they reportedly made a hole of the first-floor door to access the locks. After gaining entry they pried open the locked cupboards to steal the valuables.   The four then broke into Sunil’s office on the ground floor by breaking a glass. According to Deccan Chronicle, they also stole a digital video recorder.   “Though the couple during their stay claimed they do not have mobile phones, they lied to their employees. It appears they have a mobile phone, which they have been using secretly. Police teams have launched a manhunt for them,” said police sources to TOI.

Telangana polls: TRS chief KCR hands out nomination forms to candidates

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Politics
TRS had released their list of candidates for 107 of the 119 assembly constituencies after the assembly was dissolved on September 6.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) on Sunday handed over B-Forms to 107 candidates to file their nomination with the Telangana Election Commission for the upcoming state elections, at the Telangana Bhavan. The last date for filing nominations is November 19.  The TRS had released their list of candidates for 107 of the 119 assembly constituencies soon after the assembly was dissolved on September 6. Sources in TRS told Times of India that the remaining candidate's list will be released only after the opposition Mahakutami releases their list of candidates. Telangana goes to the polls on December 7.  The TRS has set up a coordination committee at the state level for better coordination in the elections. KCR, at his meeting with party candidates at Telangana Bhavan, gave instructions on how to carry out the next stage of election campaigns. He reportedly told his candidates to try and diffuse the tension prevailing among the disgruntled poll aspirants who could not secure a ticket, or to leave the matter behind if their efforts proved futile.  KCR has instructed party candidates to file their nominations free of error and to consult the election control room helpline at the Telangana Bhavan if doubts arise while filling forms.    The caretaker CM, after addressing four election meetings in October, had taken a break from campaigning. He is now expected to resume his election campaign tour of 70 to 80 constituencies from November 14 or 15, after filing his nomination papers in Gajwel assembly, reported The New Indian Express.  Sources told Deccan Chronicle that KCR would even be addressing a public meeting after December 3 in Hyderabad.   The party meet at Telangana Bhavan also saw members of the Gujarati community in Hyderabad officially joining the TRS fold.  Members of All Gujarati Samoa, j who joined TRS, were addressed by KT Ramarao, the caretaker IT minister, who urged Gujarati industrialists and businessmen to help TRS with votes.   The Gujarati community had sought government support to various schools and institutions under the Gujarati Samaj. The caretaker minister told the community that a decision to waive property tax for the schools under the ambit of the Samaj was already initiated. 

Telangana elections: BJP to distribute 1 lakh cows per year if voted to power

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Telangana 2018
The scheme will be part of BJP's manifesto which is scheduled to release sometime this week.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Telangana in its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly Elections is likely to promise free distribution of over 1 lakh cows across the state. The scheme will be part of BJP manifesto scheduled to sometime this week. “Cow is helpful for agriculture, medicine as well as the rural economy and is a sacred animal. Those interested in cow rearing can get one under this scheme,” said NVSS Prabhakar, the BJP manifesto committee chairman, speaking to TNM on Sunday. The party intends to create a portal where one can register if they want a cow. “Those interested - farmers, citizens or well-wishers - will be given a cow. In every district, we will give away 3,000 cows. These cows will be given only on auspicious days,” he added. When asked how these cows will be procured and how fodder will be made available for the cows, the BJP leader said, “Different sources are there to arrange for the cows. We can get them from other states. Those who are interested and rearing the cows can avail the scheme and then the individual will have to take care of the fodder,” said Prabhakar. The TRS government had also launched a cattle distribution scheme in 2017 which was aimed at improving milk production in the state. Under that scheme, a 50% subsidy was given to 2 lakh dairy farmers in the state who wished to buy buffaloes. The BJP is also likely to promise to bring the VAT charged by the state – 32% for petrol and 27% for diesel – down to “0%” in its manifesto. “The present VAT rate being charged in Telangana is very high, so we have decided to write off VAT totally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already asked all states to reduce VAT on fuel. We took this decision keeping his plea in mind,” the BJP leader told TNM. “When people in other states can get fuel for cheaper rates why should people in Telangana alone suffer? We will mobilise state treasury to find other revenue generation sources - human resources, natural resources and some other development resources. There are other options that we can explore,” he added. The party has also come up with sops to attract urban voters in Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Warangal by charging just Rs 6 per month per household for the supply of potable water, he said. “We have decided to supply potable water at Rs 6 per month per household across the state. At present people pay high amounts and the water bill of a household goes up to Rs 250-Rs 300. When the Delhi government (ruled by Aam Aadmi Party) can do it, why can't Telangana?” said the BJP leader.   The BJP also hopes to provide 1 lakh jobs to fill government vacancies within three months of coming to power. They also intend to cancel surcharges presently levied on commuters by TSRTC buses for trips undertaken during festivals, Prabhakar said. The party also intends to woo TSRTC employees by ensuring that a portion of the corporation's profits goes to the employees, he said. The BJP also intends to constitute a “task force” to protect the lands owned by the Waqf Board and other religious institutions once they come to power. They also intend to phase out older autos and buses by giving the owners new pollution-free vehicles, the leader said.

Telangana polls: EC issues notification, Nov 20 is last day for filing nominations

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Telangana 2018
Elections in Telangana are scheduled to be held on December 7 while the results will be declared on December 11.
The Election Commission on Monday issued a notification for poll-bound Telangana, announcing that the last date for filing nominations is November 19. The EC also announced that the last day for scrutiny is November 20 and the last day for withdrawal of candidature is November 22. While notifications would be issued from 7 am to 5 pm in all the constituencies, in Bhupalapalle, Mulug, Pinapaka, Yellandu, Kothagudem, Aswaraopeta and Bhadrachalam they would be issued from 7 am to 4 pm, according to the EC. Distribution of photo voter slips The EC will distribute voter slips through booth level officers from November 20. The Chief Electoral Officer said that the voter slips would be in white colour while the ballot paper would be in pink colour. Publicity about candidate’s criminal record As per the latest SC guidelines, the candidates who have criminal cases against them – either pending or convicted cases – shall publish a declaration about it in three widely circulated newspapers and TV channels in the state on three different dates, and also on their party website. The candidates are required to produce the paper cuttings and video clips of the same to the Returning Officers. Complaints redressal The state has set up a toll-free number – 1950 – for complaints. Besides this, a control room has also been set up. The contact numbers are 040-23453038, 040-23453039, 040-234530340 and 040-23453044. There are 32,574 polling booths in Telangana for the present elections, compared to the 29,138 booths in 2014. The EC has also identified 6,39,276 Persons with Disability (PwD) electors for whom the Commission has made arrangements for Braille signage, ramp and also transport. Ban on Exit Poll The EC has instructed that all mediums should prevent conducting or publishing poll predictions starting from 7 am on November 12 to 5.30 pm on December 7. Elections in Telangana will be held on December 7 and the results would be declared on December 11. The EC has also stated that it would make arrangement for web casting on the day of polling.   

Telangana polls: Infighting in Mahakutami will help TRS win, KCR tells party workers

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Telangana 2018
Even as ticket aspirants protested at the Congress office in Hyderabad, state chief Uttam Kumar Reddy left for Delhi to discuss the crisis in the alliance.
Expressing confidence that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) would win at least 100 out of the 119 Assembly seats, caretaker CM and party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said their victory was assured thanks to the infighting within the Mahakutami or grand alliance. Speaking to party workers on Sunday while issuing B forms, KCR said that the alliance partners would not cooperate with each other, thereby ensuring TRS a comfortable win in the December 7 Assembly Election. According to reports, KCR said that there would be heavy infighting in the Mahakutami between the Congress, TDP, CPI and the Telangana Jana Samithi after they announce their respective candidates. But signs of disgruntlement have already surfaced with Congress workers, who are not hopeful of getting a ticket protesting at Gandhi Bhavan – the party office in Hyderabad - on Monday. Meanwhile, Telangana Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy has left for Delhi on Monday to discuss the crisis in the alliance. Demanding a party ticket for the Warangal constituency, Congress’ Nayini Rajender Reddy and his supporters locked down the district office on Sunday. Similarly, a faction of Telangana Jana Samithi workers, supporters of Hari Nayak and Nandikanti Sridhar, aspirants from Khanapur and Malkajgiri are on a hunger strike at their office demanding tickets. Meanwhile, the CPI is reportedly unhappy with the grand alliance, as the Congress has offered only three seats, against their demand of five seats. However, CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy told TNM that they wouldn’t quit the alliance. “How will we leave the alliance when it was us who started this alliance, there is no question of it,” he said. In a bid to convince Venkat Reddy, TJS president Prof Kodandram had met the former at a hotel in Hyderabad on Sunday. Although the TJS is reportedly unhappy with the constituencies given to them, the party is hopeful of getting winnable seats.  The TJS has been offered 8 seats, out of which five constituencies have been confirmed, while three others are yet to be decided. Irrespective of it, the party core team has invited district committee workers to scrutinize candidates for the constituencies and discuss party strategy.   Among the 119 seats, Congress reportedly got 93 seats, 14 for TDP, 8 for TJS, 3 for CPI and 1 for Telangana Inti Party. 

WhatsApp armies and Like farms: Internet is ground zero for BJP, Cong to take on TRS

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Telangana Polls
The major political parties fighting the Telangana polls are relying heavily on social media to reach the state’s 1.4 crore internet user base.
At the Congress headquarters at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad, Hasiba Amin, the party’s national coordinator for social media, is huddled in a closed-door meeting with her state-level social media coordinators. She is busy taking feedback from ground level party workers on how to craft the party’s social media strategy. As the offline contention for the 119 Assembly seats in Telangana intensifies, so does the fight online among the digital assets of the political parties in the election fray. The major political parties fighting the Telangana polls are relying heavily on social media to reach the 1.4 crore internet user base in the state. Almost all parties have a presence on all social media platforms, and those behind the keyboards of the Congress and the BJP in Telangana claim that social media has given them a better sense of how the political winds are blowing. In the run-up to the elections, the Telangana Congress has entered into an alliance with the TDP, CPI and TJS to take on the K Chandrashekar Rao led TRS, while the BJP too is in the fray. Popularity and perception Congress social media coordinators feel that the tide has been turning in their favour since mid-October. They base their conclusions on analysis of social media engagements and Google trends. “Ever since we got into election mode, the kind of response we are getting in Telangana is amazing,” says Hasiba, who joined the Congress social media team a year ago. “There are over 1.4 crore internet users in Telangana based on information provided to us by Google and we have a reach of over one million in one digital property alone… when we take other platforms into account our reach in Telangana is huge,” she adds. The Congress is trying to make its presence felt on all social media platforms, be it Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. It has even managed to gather over 5 lakh subscribers from Telangana on ShareChat, a little-known Indic-language-based app similar to WhatsApp. The party claims it does not spend on social media marketing, that all their online growth and popularity is organic. “We may spend money on social media advertising only as we get closer to the elections,” says Hasiba, who pulls her laptop near to show where her party stands in terms of popularity on Google trends against the TDP and TRS. She points out that since the second half of October the Congress has been leading in Google searches, followed by the TDP and TRS. “Our popularity has shot up even further since November. The search queries for TRS has plateaued over the same period,” she observes. In the TRS, social media is headed by the caretaker chief minister for IT, KT Rama Rao, and Member of Parliament K Kavitha, his sister. They directly oversee three teams of professionals who handle social media aided by a few other party leaders. “The party has been active on all social media platforms, be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or ShareChat. Earlier, these platforms were used to share information on welfare and developmental activities of the TRS government, now they are using it for election campaigning also,” discloses a source privy to the inner workings of the party’s social media team. “The TRS always used social media positively, unlike other political parties who resort to vulgar memes to criticise and attack. We have been using it in a decent fashion,” the source says. The TRS claims that the party social media handles are way ahead of other parties in terms of reach, citing the example of how its Facebook page has over one million followers. “Even when it comes to Twitter, party leaders have a large following, like KTR has over 1.4 million followers whereas opposition leaders have just 30,000 to 40,000 followers. This huge follower base gives the TRS leverage over the opposition in terms of reach. The party is banking on the various good schemes launched by the government,” says the TRS source. Post wars and Like farms Every day Hasiba’s team scans through every social media post made by their political opponents, mainly the TRS. “The TRS clearly has a pattern of social media postings. Every morning they put up a post that is against the Congress. After two hours they put a post which is pro-TRS. After two hours they publish a post about their manifesto points. So, they have a pattern that they robotically follow,” says Hasiba, who alleges that the one million followers TRS gained on Facebook were from ‘Like farms’. Like farms are third-party service providers who help page owners generate more likes on their pages to show increased popularity. “In a less than a week, from a few lakh followers the TRS Facebook page likes has shot up to one million, but their engagement hasn’t gone up. Which means they have purchased bots from like farms to like their page. We are doing much better than them with our 2 lakh plus likes. The TRS is just trying to create a perception that they are doing better,” she claims. When quizzed about the allegation made by the Congress that the TRS was buying likes to boost Facebook followers, the TRS source responded by saying, “Recently the TRS exposed the Congress for buying bots, they want to pass it back to the TRS… which is why they are making these claims. Followers information is public information, one can go and check if these followers are genuine.” WhatsApp armies The Telangana BJP is active, both on Facebook and Twitter, and on WhatsApp it is using an army of volunteers to push the good deeds of the BJP led central government to every village in the state. “We have assembly, mandal and booth level WhatsApp groups, put them all together and the number of groups goes beyond 4,000 with anywhere between 150 to 250 party workers in each group. This is not including groups just for party volunteers,” says Krithikant, the BJP Telangana social media in-charge for the past three years. “We use the groups to pass on both instructions and information. The flow of information works both ways – from the high command to the workers and from the workers to the high command,” he adds. The BJP uses the WhatsApp medium to discuss the failures and the unkept promises of the TRS government. “In the past six months there has been a shift in the direction of public discourse on social media, people have become more critical of the TRS government,” observes Krithikant. The same shift in public discourse on social media was noted by Deepak John, the Telangana social media in-charge of the Congress. “In the last two or three years, no one would talk negatively about KCR. We have tried to highlight the failures of the TRS government by bringing out the facts, numbers and by highlighting issues faced by the people. A lot of that effort has started paying off as people have now started criticising the TRS form of governance,” Deepak asserts. The Congress is not that far behind the BJP in terms of having its own WhatsApp army for Telangana elections. “We have 119 WhatsApp groups for each assembly coordinator with booth level coordinators and members. As there are 3,866 polling booths in Hyderabad city, we have that many WhatsApp groups headed by booth level coordinators,” Deepak says. The TRS, on the other hand, claims to have a cadre base of 65 to 70 lakh, out of which 45 lakh are active on WhatsApp. The party regularly sends election-related messages and instructions to their cadre through WhatsApp. To coordinate with their candidates, the party has asked the candidates to create constituency level WhatsApp groups. “The team sitting in the party headquarters sends out information to the constituency level groups and they in turn push the information further down to mandal and booth level WhatsApp groups,” says the TRS source. In this age of rampant online trolling, how do the political parties cope? The Congress social media team does not respond to trolls, the party says it engages only through facts. “We know which accounts are trolls, they leave negative comments on our social media posts. They are all from one party,” Hasiba says, hinting at the BJP. The Telangana BJP social media in-charge does not deny the existence of trolls but says the party stance is to distance itself from the trolls. “We have strict orders from our high command telling party workers to be civil in their social media engagements. The instances of trolling are by BJP fans and not by our party workers,” Krithikant claims. “All parties have followers who do not follow online etiquette, it is a common problem with all parties, we cannot say only one party does it. Whoever it is, they should not be doing so. If they cross the line, the Election Commission is watching social media and will pull them up,” the TRS source says.  

Telangana polls: 48 candidates apply on first day of nomination filing

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Telangana Polls
The TRS filed 10 nominations, followed by 9 nominations from the BJP. The Congress filed 6 nominations while TDP filed 2 and the CPI(M) filed one.
As many as 48 candidates filed their nominations on Monday for Telangana assembly elections on December 7. On the first day of filing of nominations, candidates in 38 constituencies submitted their papers to the returning officers. The Election Commission on Monday had issued notification for elections to the 119-member assembly. November 19 is the last date for filing of nominations. The papers will be scrutinised the next day, while nominations can be withdrawn till November 22. TRS filed 10 nominations, followed by 9 nominations from the BJP. The Congress filed 6 nominations while TDP filed 2 and the CPI(M) filed one. The rest of the nominations were spread among smaller, lesser known parties.  Prominent among those who filed their nominations on the first day include state BJP chief K. Laxman, who is seeking re-election from Musheerabad constituency in Hyderabad. Controversial BJP legislator T. Raja Singh also filed his papers from Goshamahal. N. Srinivas Reddy, a rebel candidate of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), filed his nomination from Uppal. The party has named Bethi Subhash Reddy as its candidate. Telangana's Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar at a press conference said polling in 13 constituencies will be held from 7 am to 4 pm, while in the remaining constituencies polling will continue till 5 p.m. He told reporters that as on Monday, the total number of voters were 2,76,29,610, including 1,36,91,290 women. The total number of polling stations is 32,574, including 20,329 stations in rural areas. The CEO said so far that Rs 66.96 crore cash, Rs.5.98 crore worth of liquor and Rs 4.30 crore worth of goods have been seized across the state. Rajat Kumar said the accounts of the election expenditure of candidates would be maintained from Monday onwards. He asked the political parties to name their star campaigners within a week, failing which the expenditure will be accounted against the candidate concerned. 

Congress release names of 65 candidates for Telangana elections

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Telangana Polls
The Congress is even willing to partake in "friendly contests" against their own allies.
The Congress released their first list of 65 candidates late Monday night for the Telangana elections on December 7. The list was released after the meeting of Central Election Committee (CEC) chaired by the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi.  The Congress state party chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy will be contesting from the Huzurnagar constituency. Vanteru Pratap Reddy, formerly with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) who joined the Congress, will be contesting against the Telangana Rashtra Samithi president, K Chandrashekar Rao from Gajwel.   The Congress has announced candidates for 20 reserved constituencies and 10 of these candidates are from Backward Class (BC) communities.   However, candidates for Siddipet and Sircilla — where TRS candidates Harish Rao, KCR’s nephew, and KT Ramarao, KCR’s son, will be contesting, were not released. Sources told Times of India that these seats would be contested by candidates from Congress ally Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS).   Taking on the BJP party's Raja Sigh from Goshmahal will be Congress's M Mukesh Goud. Congress has fielded Esa Bin Obaid Misri to contest from Chandrayangutta, and Mohammad Ghouse to contest from Charminar, both seats which are considered AIMIM strongholds.  Congress working president, A Revanth Reddy, will be contesting from Kodangal assembly constituency, from where he won the 2009 and 2014 state elections on a TDP ticket. Opposition leader for the Congress, Mohammad Shabbir Ali who lost the 2014 state elections will be contesting again from Kamareddy assembly constituency.   The Congress is even willing to contest against their Mahakutami allies, CPI(M), TDP or the TJS  in a “friendly contest” if the allies filed candidates in constituencies where Congress candidates will be contesting from. This decision comes as the finalisation of seat-sharing within the Mahakutami remains a major hurdle for the alliance.   The TJS chief, Professor Kondandaram, told the media on Monday that his party would be releasing their list of candidates for the eight or more seats they are contesting from on Tuesday.  

Telangana polls: TDP releases names of nine candidates in first list

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Telangana 2018
The party said that the names of six more candidates would be announced soon.
Soon after the Congress released their candidate list for Telangana, the Telugu Desam Party released their first list of candidates, consisting of names of people contesting from nine constituencies on Tuesday. Both the Congress and the TDP are part of the Mahakutami. As per the list, Nama Nageswara Rao will be contesting from Khammam, Revuri Prakash Reddy from Warangal West, Sandra Venkata Veeraiah from Sathupalli, Kothakota Dayakar Reddy from Makthal, Erra Shekhar from Mahabubnagar, T Veerender Goud from Uppal, Anand Prasad from Serilingampally, Mecha Nageswar Rao from Aswaraopeta and Muzzafar Ali Khan from Malakpet. Nama Nageswara Rao is a former Lok Sabha MP from Khammam. He also contested the 2014 general elections against then YSRCP candidate Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, but was defeated. He was an MP from 2009-2014. This time, Nageswara Rao has chosen to contest in the Assembly polls. Nageswara Rao, was one of the richest MPs from Telangana. The party said that their second list announcing six more candidates would be out soon. Despite protests from the Muvva Satyanarayana faction demanding a ticket from Serilingampally, the party gave the ticket to Anand Prasad. Former Congress MLA from Serilingampally, Bikshapathi Yadav was hoping that he would be given the ticket. However, the constituency was given to the TDP as part of the alliance. The Congress released its much-delayed candidate list on Monday night, announcing the names of people contesting from 65 constituencies. Incumbent Warangal East MLA Konda Surekha, who recently joined the Congress after resigning from the TRS as the party refused her a ticket, will be contesting from Parkal. TPCC chief Uttam Kumar will be contesting from Huzurnagar. The TRS is yet to announce the candidate who will be contesting against him. Candidates began filing their nominations from Monday, and 48 candidates have already filed their nominations. The candidates include Telangana BJP president K Laxman and incumbent Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh. Raja Singh was accompanied by BJP senior leader Ram Madhav for his nomination. 10 candidates from the TRS and six from the Congress also filed their nominations. The last day for filing nomination is November 19. The Election Commission will scrutinize the candidates by November 20, and the last date for withdrawal is November 22. Telangana goes to polls on December 7, and results will be declared on December 11.                  

Telangana polls: TRS woman leader K Shankaramma threatens suicide if denied ticket

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Telangana 2018
Shankaramma is the mother of Telangana martyr Kasoju Srikhantha Chary who had immolated himself for the cause of a separate Telangana state in 2000.
YouTube screenshot
A woman leader of Telangana's ruling party TRS on Tuesday threatened to commit suicide if she was denied party ticket for next month's assembly elections. K. Shankaramma, mother of Telangana martyr Kasoju Srikhantha Chary, said that if the party fields any other candidate from Huzurnagar constituency in Nalgonda district, she would end her life. Chary had immolated himself for the cause of a separate Telangana state in 2000. Shankaramma also made the sensational allegation that energy minister C. Jagadish Reddy has been harassing her for the last four years. She alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader was trying to deny her the party ticket from Huzurnagar. She told reporters that Jagdish Reddy has entered into a deal with Non-Resident Indian S. Saidi Reddy to get him a TRS ticket. The TRS has already announced candidates for 107 constituencies but Huzurnagar is among 12 constituencies, the candidates for which have been kept on hold. Shankaramma had contested as a TRS candidate from Huzurnagar against Congress party's Telangana unit chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy in 2014. Uttam Kumar Reddy had defeated her by over 23,000 votes. Uttam Kumar Reddy is set to contest again from the same constituency. Elections to the 119-member assembly are scheduled on December 7 and the results would be declared on December 11. The process for filing of nominations began on Tuesday with the Election Commission issuing the poll notification. The last date for filing nominations is November 19. The EC also announced that the last day for scrutiny is November 20 and the last day for withdrawal of candidature is November 22.

53 out of 40? Kakatiya Uni gives PG students more marks than maximum score

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Education
While students allege manipulation, the university claims it was due to a technical glitch.
Two MSc Chemistry students of Kakatiya University in Warangal were baffled when the second semester results were released earlier this month. While both of them definitely aspired to score good marks, they were shocked when they found out that they had scored 43 and 53 marks in one of the papers, when the maximum score was 40! And this is not the first time that the students in the university have scored more than the maximum marks allotted. Curiously, this is the second instance that students in the same department have scored more than the maximum. Last year, a student belonging to the Mathematics department had reportedly scored 105 marks in one paper, whereas the maximum marks were 100. Students have been protesting against this gross negligence by the university, demanding the resignation of the controller of examinations. Speaking to TNM, Manohar, president of the Bahujan Students Federation, calls it sheer incompetence on the part of the university and says that students have been protesting against the controller of examinations for the past one week. “This is not the first time that such manipulation is happening in the university. Earlier too students from the same department have scored more marks than what can be allotted. We can only imagine how many more students’ results have been manipulated in the process,” Manohar says. Some students belonging to the Chemistry department further allege that the manipulations are often a result of the rivalry between the head of the department and the head of the board of studies, who act as an intermediary between the controller of examinations and the department. “Our HoD and the head of the board of studies have always been at loggerheads. Everybody in the university knows about this. There are speculations that the HoD deliberately manipulates marks and sends it across to the head of the board of studies so that students accuse the controller of examinations of tampering with the marks,” a student from the Chemistry department says. “Such errors delay the future course of action for students, especially for those who have finished their post-graduation and are looking for jobs. The university is so outdated that it still manually publishes the results and does not bother putting them up on our website,” he adds. When asked about the allegations, the Chemistry head of the department, Prof Dayakar Gade, told TNM that the error was purely due to a technical glitch. “Instances of students who score more than the maximum marks allotted have escalated in the past four years. It’s a technical glitch on the side of the university that is causing the error. I haven’t awarded a single person more than the maximum marks allotted and the university will soon appoint a committee to look into the matter, and probe the invigilator who has corrected the answer sheets,” Prof Dayakar says. Meanwhile, the head of the board of studies, Hanumanthu Gugoloth, told TNM that the error was a result of moderation after which 0.5% of marks was added to the original marks. “It was a glitch in the software that created the problem. We think it happened during the moderation of results when 0.5% marks were added. Due to the error in the system, more marks were given. We are trying to solve the issue and will soon publish a new marksheet,” he says.

As race for Telangana heats up, Chandrababu Naidu to campaign soon

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Telangana 2018
TRS has been quick to attack Chandrababu Naidu strategically turning its campaign from one about issues within the state to Telangana-Andhra.
File Image : TDP/Facebook
With less than a month to go for the Telangana Elections, things are slowly heating up in the state. While the ruling TRS has issued B forms to its candidates, Mahakutami allies the Congress and TDP have each released their first list of candidates.   The Mahakutami or grand alliance comprising of the Congress, TDP, CPI and TJS have in the past few weeks been caught up in the seat sharing arrangements, even as the TRS was quick to get off the blocks having begun campaigning. So even while TJS’s Prof Kodandaram and CPI were threatening to pull out of the alliance unhappy with the allocation of seats, TRS’s K Tarakarama Rao (KTR) was quick to take a jibe at the Mahakutami at a public meeting stating, "By the time they issue seats, we will distribute sweets for our victory." Much of TRS’ campaign has revolved around caretaker CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and his family members – son KTR, daughter Kavitha and nephew Harish Rao.  The Congress, on the other hand, has roped in party chief Rahul Gandhi in the first phase, and is relying on local faces such as state president Uttam Kumar Reddy, Revanth Reddy and a few others. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President Chandrababu Naidu, who has been meeting opposition leaders across the country in an effort to shore up an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, is, however, yet to kickstart his campaign in Telangana. The December 7 polls in Telangana are being viewed as a do or die battle for the TDP in the state, with many of its leaders defecting to the ruling TRS.   Party sources have told TNM that a schedule of their leaders' campaign tour in Telangana will soon be released once the final candidates list is out. In the meantime, the TDP’s campaign is relying on state chief L Ramana, senior leaders Revuri Prakash Reddy and Nannuri Narsireddy, who is known for his oratory skills. Speaking to TNM Revuri Prakash Reddy, senior TDP leader and contestant at Warangal West Assembly Constituency said that a campaign map is being discussed. Revuri said, "Soon there will be clarity on Chandrababu Naidu's campaign meetings in Telangana, mostly there would be two public gatherings that he would be addressing." Public meetings are likely to take place in Khammam, Rangareddy or Hyderabad limits, where the TDP has a strong base. While Naidu's presence will come as a morale booster for the TDP cadre in Telangana, observers say his public rallies are unlikely to make a big difference. Speaking to TNM senior political observer Telakapalli Ravi said, “Chandrababu Naidu's presence is not going to be a game changer.” Pointing out that the TRS is ahead in its campaign, Ravi noted that the ruling party has made strategic attacks on Chandrababu Naidu turning the public discourse from one about issues within the state to the Telangana-Andhra issue. Ravi observed, "Given the situation, Naidu’s presence doesn't really make a qualitative difference except among few sections". When asked about 'settlers' from Andhra voting for the TDP, he said, "We can't conclude that the settlers from Andhra would rally behind TDP". 

Telangana polls: Congress faces discontent as leaders quit to contest as independents

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Telangana 2018
Followers of some aspirants staged protests at the party office in Hyderabad while others decided to quit the party and contest as independent candidates.
The first list of candidates announced by the Congress in Telangana for the upcoming Assembly elections triggered discontent in the party, with those who were denied a ticket threatening to enter the fray as rebels. The main opposition party late on Monday announced 65 candidates for the December 7 elections to the 119-member Assembly. The Congress, which is heading a four-party opposition alliance, has agreed to leave 24 seats for its three allies. Followers of some aspirants, whose names did not figure in the list, staged protests at the party office Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad while some others decided to quit the party and contest as independent candidates. Security was also beefed up at the party's office, well ahead of time, anticipating protests.  Party spokesman M. Krishank has opposed the party's decision to give ticket to his father-in-law and former central minister Sarve Satyanarayana from Secunderabad Cantonment constituency. Krishank's supporters staged a sit-in at Gandhi Bhavan. Krishank announced that he would contest as an independent from the same constituency. He wondered how the party can field a man who was defeated thrice in the past. Senior leader and former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, whose name did not figure in the first list, said he was surprised as he had been with the same party and contesting from the same constituency for last 35 years.  He was confident that the party will give ticket to him from Jangaon. He said there was no truth in reports that the Congress was planning to leave the seat for TJS leader M. Kodandaram. Another senior leader and former central minister Renuka Chowdary also expressed displeasure over the first list.  She said the balance among various castes was not maintained. She also found fault with Ponnala's name missing from the list. She said the selection of candidates could have an impact on the party's prospects. However, Ponnala is also facing internal dissent within the party with some pointing out that he had lost the Assembly elections in 2014, despite being the sitting President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) at the time. Some are demanding that the ticket, if given to the Congress in the alliance, should be contested by Bala Lakshmi, a firebrand leader from the Osmania University Joint Action Committee (OUJAC), who was one of the few women leaders to emerge from the Telangana movement for separate statehood. The Congress is also facing protest from its leaders who were unhappy over leaving some seats for allies.  Former legislator Bhikshapathi Yadav, an aspirant from Serilingampally constituency in Hyderabad, announced he will contest as an independent after the party left this constituency for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). NSUI state president Balmuri Venkat, who was aspiring for ticket from Peddapalle constituency, resigned from the Congress after the party named Vijay Ramna Rao its candidate. Narayana Rao, former MLA from Tandur in Vikarabad district, announced that he too was resigning from the party. Supporters of Mala Mahanadu President and Congress leader Addanki Dayakar staged a protest in Mahabubabad district headquarter, demanding party ticket for him from Tungaturti constituency. In Vemulawada, supporters of E. Manohar climbed on a water tank to protest against the ticket allocation to Aadi Srinivas.  In Warangal East, local Congress leader Poshala Padma resigned from the party to protest the decision to leave the seat for Telangana Janata Samithi (TJS). The TDP, which announced nine candidates late on Monday, is also facing rebellion from disgruntled leaders.  Tension prevailed at TDP headquarters NTR Trust Bhavan on Tuesday as a supporter of M. Satyanarayana tried self-immolation over denial of party ticket to him from Serlingampally. The TDP has fielded B. Anand Prasad from this constituency. Telangana will go to the polls on December 7 and the results will be announced on December 11. The last date for filing nominations is November 19.   IANS inputs Read: Denied Congress ticket, OU leaders who fought for Telangana, threaten rebellion 

Dharna Chowk should be open for protests, Hyd HC tells Telangana govt

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Controversy
'Dharna Chowk' has been the venue of thousands of protests for over two decades and the state government’s decision to close it down, has not been received well.
Image: PTI
In a major development, the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday ordered the Telangana police to reopen Dharna Chowk in the heart of the state's capital for six weeks, to allow protest meetings and rallies.  A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice S V Bhatt was dealing with Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao, Ch Venkat Reddy from the CPI and Professor Visweshwara Rao. The court passed an interim order, observing that protests were an integral part of the right to assemble and added that dissenting voices could not be suppressed in a democracy.  The state's counsel argued that the Chowk was situated close to a residential area and also cited security problems as it was very close to the secretariat. The counsel also said that they had proposed an alternative protest site near Saroornagar stadium.  After hearing all sides, the court postponed the matter for further hearing in six weeks. 'Dharna Chowk' had been the venue of thousands of protests by political parties, people's organisations, students' groups, employees' unions and others for over two decades and the state government’s decision to close it down and shift it, has been a contentious one from the start. Last year, Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao had defended the police's move to shift 'Dharna Chowk' to the outskirts of the city saying that some parties were deliberately creating problems in the name of protests. Proposing a handful of alternate sites on the outskirts of the city, CM KCR had argued that the venue of protests did not matter, since the Opposition would be able to highlight issues through the media. However, opposition parties and activists pointed out that KCR himself, had repeatedly protested at Dharna Chowk during the Telangana agitation for separate statehood and accused him of trying to curb dissent.  

Brutal murder rattles Telangana village after 7-yr-old boy's body found on roof

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Crime
Many locals said that they had never witnessed such an incident before.
Image for representation
The mysterious death of a seven-year-old boy in Telangana's Nalgonda district has shaken his native village, after his body was found on the roof of his home, with bruise marks, after he went missing during the day.  The incident took place in Pannalagudem village, close to Nakrekal town and the deceased was identified as Sathvik, a Class 3 student. Speaking to local media outlets, many locals said that they had never witnessed such an incident before. A pall of gloom descended over locals as visuals showed relatives of the boy wailing, as they tried to make sense of his death."He was playing in the evening with some other boys. I went to Nalgonda while my wife also went out to a shop. I returned after 3 pm but I just assumed that he was playing somewhere. When he didn't return by 5 30 pm, I began getting worried and searched for him. When we couldn't find him, we filed a missing complaint with the police," the minor's father told reporters. "We continued to search for him in the night but we couldn't find him. Even at around midnight, his body was not on the roof. We suspect that someone dumped it there after killing him in the early hours of the morning," he added.  The boy's father and mother told the media that they did not suspect anyone and did not understand the motive for the murder. "The boy had slight fever and didn't go to school. He was last seen playing with the children in his neighbourhood. Our preliminary investigation suggests that some unidentified persons have killed the boy and dumped his body there. We have called dog squads and the CLUES teams to help us with forensic evidence. We have registered a case and the incident is being investigated. We have no suspects as of now, but we will reveal further details soon," the local investigating officer from the Nakrekal police station told the media.   According to media reports, Nalgonda Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Ganga Ram also visited the spot to oversee the investigation of the case. 

Telangana polls: Congress announces second list with names of 10 candidates

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Telangana 2018
The party has fielded KK Mahender Reddy, considered a strong candidate, against KT Rama Rao at Sircilla.
Amidst strong protests from rebel candidates, the Telangana Congress released its second list on Wednesday naming 10 candidates, making it a total of 75 candidates so far. The first list was announced on Monday. According to the list, Ramesh Rathod will contest from Khanapur, Congress spokesperson Sravan Dasoju from Khairtabad, Adluri Laxman Kumar from Dharmapuri, Kichannagari Laxma Reddy from Medchal, P Vishnuvardhan from Jubilee Hills, C Pratap Reddy from Shadnagar, Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy from Bhupalapally and Kandala Upender Reddy from Palair. Ramesh Rathod, a former MP, had recently joined the Congress after the TRS refused him a ticket from Adilabad. Ever since he joined the Congress, supporters of Azmeera Hari Naik have been disgruntled with the party. Naik’s supporters even protested at Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress party office, demanding a ticket for him. However, despite protests, the party high command approved the name of Rathod as contestant from Khanapur, an Adivasi dominated constituency. The Congress has chosen to field KK Mahender Reddy against the TRS president’s son and IT Minister, KT Rama Rao, from Sircilla. In the 2009 election, Reddy had contested as an independent candidate and lost to KTR with a small margin of just 171 votes. The candidate contesting from Siddipet against T Harish Rao hasn’t been announced yet. Siddipet is a cidatel of the TRS, having been under the reign of the party since 1985. K Chandrasekhar Rao, the TRS president, has won six times consecutively from the Siddipet Assembly seat until 2004. Meanwhile, Sravan Dasoju will contest against Danam Nagender, who had joined the TRS alleging that the BC community was neglected by the Congress. Though the TRS hasn’t announced its candidate from Khairtabad, party sources have confirmed that Nagender would be contesting from the seat. The alliance party, TDP, has also announced its first list consisting of names of nine candidates. However, both the Telangana Jana Samithi and the Communist Party of India, who are part of the grand alliance, haven’t released their list yet. Candidates have already started filing nominations from Monday. The last date for filing nominations is November 19.  Telangana goes to the polls on December 7 and results will be declared on December 11. 

Telangana polls: Caretaker CM and TRS chief KCR files nomination from Gajwel

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Telangana 2018
KCR, who is known to be particularly superstitious about dates and time, visited the Lord Venkateswara temple at Koinapally before filing his nomination.
Telangana caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao filed his nomination papers on Wednesday at the office of the returning officer for the Gajwel Assembly constituency in the state's Siddipet town. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief was accompanied by his nephew and caretaker Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and caretaker Deputy CM Kadiyam Srihari. KCR, who claims to be deeply religious and is known to be particular superstitious about date and time, visited the Lord Venkateshwara temple at Koinapally in Siddipet district and performed a pooja at 11:15 am, where he presented his paper in front of the presiding deity. He has been following this ritual since 1983. The TRS supremo, commonly known as KCR, is contesting from the Gajwel Assembly constituency in Siddipet district for the second consecutive time. Siddipet district is the citadel of the TRS, as KCR has won six times from the Siddipet Assembly seat until — from his first victory in 1985 up till 2004. He changed his turf in 2006 and contested from Karimnagar for the Lok Sabha polls, won, and then resigned in protest, to demand a separate Telangana state. He was re-elected with a thumping 2.5 lakh majority. Again, in 2008, he resigned during the Telangana agitation and retained the MP seat after being re-elected. In 2009, he changed his turf once again, and contested as an MP from Mahbubnagar, leaving the Siddipet seat to his nephew T Harish Rao, who has held on to it since. In 2014, KCR took a gamble by contesting from two seats — the Gajwel Assembly constituency and the Medak Lok Sabha seat. He ended up winning both but resigned his MP post after the TRS formed the government. KCR won the Gajwel seat with a majority of 19,391 votes. The opposition candidate, the Telugu Desam Party’s Vanteru Pratap Reddy received 67,303 votes. KCR and Pratap Reddy are yet again set to face off, as the Congress has fielded the Pratap Reddy after he defected to the party. Telangana is all set to go to the polls on December 7. The counting of votes will take place on December 11.  

Police station in Hyderabad opens creche for women officers’ children

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Human interest
The state police is also planning to open mobile toilets for women cops deployed for bandobast duties.
Around a month ago, a picture of a woman police officer working in her police station with her baby in a cradle on a table went viral on social media. Rachakonda police commissioner, Mahesh Bhagwat, had said he was moved by the picture and promised to make arrangements for the women cops under his commissionerate to work not under pressure, but with ease, without having to worry about their kids. Touted as Bhagwat’s brainchild, the Mahila police station at Saroornagar inaugurated its first crèche on November 8, named ‘We Care’, for the convenience of women officers with toddlers. Talking to TNM, Bhaygalakshmi, a woman constable at the Mahila police station, says that thanks to the crèche, they don’t have to worry about their toddlers while they are at work. “Our police station has around 43 staff members, of which 25 are women out of whom five women have kids aged below 5. Three of them now drop their kids at the crèche and attend to them whenever required. I also bring my 2-year-old boy along with me to the station and put him under the care of the staff at the crèche. Even complainants who come to the police station can drop their kids at the crèche until their counselling session is over,” Bhagyalakshmi says. The move comes as a major relief for the women cops in the commissionerate who narrate how difficult it is to juggle work and home after they have kids. “Before the crèche was opened, I used to either call my mother or mother-in-law to my house to take care of the baby. Sometimes, my husband used to stay back as I wouldn’t get time off from work. When my child was 8-9 months old, I used to take permission from my seniors just to go home and breastfeed the baby. Now that I can bring him along with me, I can concentrate better on my work, while simultaneously attending to my kid,” Bhagyalakshmi says. Meanwhile, Mahesh Bhagwat has also promised to have a crèche in all police stations before next year, when they plan to recruit 33% women constables across police stations. “Similar initiatives should be implemented across the country, as this will help women to work without constantly worrying about their toddlers and also will encourage many mothers to come to office and work,” Bhagyalakshmi opines. In another move worth applauding, the Hyderabad police department will be soon launching mobile toilets for women police officers deployed for bandobast duties. There are about 23,000 women police officers in the state and they are a constant presence at every procession and rally in the state. But without access to private toilets at the places deployed, many women police officers complain of having to go in search of a government office or a private place in order to relieve themselves. Often, they do not drink water in the fear of having to relieve themselves. Addressing the issue, Swati Lakra, the IG for women’s safety, says that the mobile toilet will be a bus-like vehicle and can travel anywhere easily. “At present, the vehicle will have toilets and a wash area. We are also planning to set up sanitary napkin dispensers in the wash area for use by the women officers,” she said, in an interview to the New Indian Express. In addition to separate washrooms and restrooms at police stations, officials say that this move will boost the performance of women police officers while working on the field.  

Major jolt to Mahakutami: TJS says it will contest 12 seats in Telangana

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Telangana 2018
Stating that TJS is contesting only in those constituencies where it is strong, the party said discussion could continue on seat sharing.
In another jolt to the 'Mahakutami' (Grand Alliance) of opposition parties in Telangana, the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) on Wednesday announced that it will contest in 12 constituencies in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state next month. Even before the constituents could reach a formal agreement over seat sharing, the fledgling TJS announced the list of constituencies where it plans to field its candidates. TJS Vice President P.L. Vishweshwar Rao told reporters that TJS will contest for the seats of Dubbaka, Medak, Malkajgiri, Amberpet, Siddipet, Warangal East, Vardhannapeta, Asifabad, Station Ghanpur, Jangaon, Mahabubnagar and Miryalguda. Stating that TJS is contesting only in those constituencies where it is strong, Rao said discussion could continue on seat sharing. Elections to the 119-member Assembly are scheduled to be held on December 7. The last date for filing of nominations is November 19. The Congress party, which is heading the alliance, has already announced that it will contest 93 seats, leaving 14 seats to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), 8 seats to the TJS and 3 seats to the Communist Party of India (CPI). However, TJS leader M. Kodandaram, who met Congress President Rahul Gandhi on November 2, had demanded 17 seats. CPI has also announced candidates for 9 seats, blaming inordinate delay in seat sharing for its unilateral decision. Congress has so far announced 75 candidates while TDP has declared its candidates for nine constituencies. On Wednesday, the Telangana unit of the TDP announced its candidates for two more Assembly constituencies, Sama Ranga Reddy for Ibrahimpatnam and Ganesh Gupta for Rajendranagar, taking the total count to eleven candidates out of the 14 seats it has been offered. Meanwhile, the Congress announced 10 more candidates on Wednesday, making it a total of 75 candidates so far. According to the list, Ramesh Rathod will contest from Khanapur, Congress Chief Spokesperson Sravan Dasoju from Khairtabad, Adluri Laxman Kumar from Dharmapuri, Kichannagari Laxma Reddy from Medchal, P Vishnuvardhan from Jubilee Hills, C Pratap Reddy from Shadnagar, Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy from Bhupalapally and Kandala Upender Reddy from Palair. The Congress has chosen to field KK Mahender Reddy against the TRS president’s son and IT Minister, KT Rama Rao, from Sircilla.  Meanwhile, Sravan Dasoju will contest against Danam Nagender in Khairatabad, who had joined the TRS alleging that the BC community was neglected by the Congress. The state will go to the polls on December 7 and counting of votes will take place on December 11.  IANS inputs 

Telangana CM KCR worth over Rs 20 cr, lists profession as agriculture

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Telangana 2018
KCR pegged his income for financial year 2017-18 at Rs 2.07 crore including agricultural income of Rs 91.52 lakh.
File photo: PTI
Telangana caretaker Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who filed his nomination from Gajwel Assembly constituency on Wednesday, has declared his total assets worth over Rs 20.60 crore, but stated that neither he nor his wife owns any vehicle, despite being known for travelling with a massive  convoy of swanky cars in the city and the state.   His total movable assets are valued at over Rs 10.40 crore while his wife K. Shobha has movable assets of over Rs 94.5 lakh. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, has immovable assets of about Rs 12.20 crore which includes 54-acre agriculture land valued at Rs 6.50 crore. The TRS chief, in the affidavit filed before the returning officer, has shown agriculture as his profession. He pegged his income for financial year 2017-18 at Rs 2.07 crore including agricultural income of Rs 91.52 lakh KCR declared that he has investments of Rs 4.71 crore in shares of Telangana Broadcasting Private Limited. He has Rs 5.63 crore in bank accounts and fixed deposits. The Chief Minister owns a house in Hyderabad and another in Karimnagar, together valued at Rs.5.10 crore. He also has 2.04 acre non-agriculture land in Siddipet district valued Rs 60 lakh. KCR owns 75 grams of jewellery worth Rs 2.40 lakh and has Rs 2.40 lakh cash in hand while Shobha, a housewife, has 2,200 grams of gold jewellery, diamonds and valuables gems/stone worth Rs 93,66,184 and Rs. 93,595 cash in hand. According to the affidavit, KCR has liabilities to the tune of Rs 8.88 crore in the form of unsecured loans. He has no bank loans but declared that he owes his son and caretaker state IT Minister KT Rama Rao Rs 82.82 lakh, money which was reportedly spent on a shed at one of KCR’s homes. While filing affidavit during 2014 elections, KCR had declared total assets of Rs 16.94 crore. His income for the financial year 2012-13 was Rs 6.59 lakh. KCR also provided details of 64 cases booked against him during Telangana agitation. No summons were issued and no charges were framed in any of these cases. Before filing his nomination, Rao offered prayers at Lord Venkateshwara temple at Konaipally village, a practice he has been following for over three decades. KCR has not lost any elections since 1985. He tasted defeat only in 1983, which was his first election. Accompanied by caretaker Irrigation Minister and his nephew T. Harish Rao and other TRS leaders, KCR offered prayers at the temple and placed his nomination papers at the feet of the deity. The 64-year-old, a strong believer in astrology, numerology and vastu, has been elected to the Assembly seven times and to the Lok Sabha twice. Harish Rao, too, filed his nomination from Siddipet constituency after participating in the rituals with KCR. According to Harish’s affidavit, the total assets that he owns is worth around Rs 3.90 crore. However, reports suggest that there was a massive growth in his investments in property; land and jewellery, which grew from Rs 45 lakh in 2014 to Rs 3.46 crore as per his latest affidavit. KCR dissolved the Assembly on September 6, nine months before its term was to end, and decided to go in for early polls, blaming the 'baseless' allegations by the opposition parties for his move. The elections to the 119-member Assembly are scheduled to be held on December 7 and the counting of votes will take place on December 11. 
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