Congress, MIM, TDP win seat each in legislative council

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | AA
Hyderabad, May 10 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh's ruling Congress, its ally Majlis
-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP)
Monday won a seat each in the 90-member legislative council.

Congress and MIM candidates were elected in the state capital while TDP bagged
the lone seat in neighbouring Ranga Reddy district. The result of the council
polls for three seats were announced within couple of hours after the counting
began Monday morning.

The elections to three seats from Local Authorities Constituencies (LACs) were
held on Friday.

Congress' M.S. Prabhakar and MIM's Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri were elected in
Hyderabad while Narendra Reddy of the TDP emerged victorious in Ranga Reddy
district.

The result in Hyderabad was a foregone conclusion given the majority Congress
and MIM enjoyed in the local body and the poll boycott by the TDP.

However, the result in Ranga Reddy came as a jolt to the Congress party as it had
gone all out to woo voters, comprising members of zilla parishad and mandal
parishad territorial committee members, corporators and councillors.

TDP's Narendra Reddy was elected with a margin of 48 votes. TDP bagged 342
votes while Congress polled 294 votes. Eight votes were declared invalid. Out of
653 voters in Ranga Reddy, 644 had cast their votes.

In Hyderabad, Congress polled 69 seats and MIM 55. Two votes were declared
invalid. Out of the total 157 voters, 126 had exercised their franchise.

In a last minute-decision, the TDP had boycotted the polls in Hyderabad making
it almost an unopposed election of the Congress
and MIM candidates.

The TDP's was voicing its protest against election officials not allowing
its corporator Raja Singh to cast his vote through postal ballot.

Raja Singh, an accused in the recent communal riots in the city, is lodged
in Chanchalguda jail.

Soon after his victory, MIM candidate and senior journalist Jafri told
reporters that he would do his best to solve the problems faced by the people
of Hyderabad and its twin city Secunderabad.

Woman steals baby from Andhra Pradesh hospital, caught on CCTV

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | AA
Hyderabad, May 10 (IANS) Closed circuit television cameras installed in
a government hospital in Andhra Pradesh came in handy for the police Monday to
identify a woman who kidnapped a newborn.

Police are hunting for the woman who was caught on security cameras while
leaving the hospital with a three-day-old baby stolen from a ward.

The incident took place at the government hospital in Kakinada town of East
Godavari district.

Police said the kidnapper was identified within hours of receiving a complaint.

The male baby was born to Sridevi three days ago. She complained that her baby
was missing when she returned to her bed.

She also told police that an unknown woman who had befriended her since
morning was also missing. She later identified her as the same woman caught on
security cameras.

Sridevi's family members also suspect the involvement of some hospital
employees. Police have questioned a few suspects.

Apex court allows Reddy brothers to resume mining

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) The Supreme Court Monday permitted magnates
Reddy brothers to resume mining in Andhra Pradesh's Obulapurum on the
condition that it would only be in undisputed areas.

The court had last week reserved orders on the plea of the Reddy brothers of
Bellary to allow them iron ore mining in Obulapuram on the Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka border.

The three Reddy brothers -- Gali Karunakar Reddy, Gali Janardhan Reddy and
Gali Soma Shekhar Reddy -- are mining barons of Bellary, India's richest mining
town, and are considered politically influential. They own the Obulapuram Mining
Company, which is engaged in mining and transportation of iron ore in Anantapur
district of Andhra Pradesh.