Senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy passes away at 77
Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister S Jaipal Reddy died at a hospital here in the early hours of Sunday. The 77-year-old was recently diagnosed with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital, where he died at 1.28 am, a Congress leader told PTI.
Reddy held key portfolios in various governments. He was a four-term MLA, member of Lok Sabha for five terms and member of Rajya Sabha for two terms.
Reddy was the Information and Broadcasting Minister in the IK Gujral government. During the UPA-1 government he held portfolios like urban development and culture.
In UPA-2, he was again assigned the urban development ministry. Later, he became the minister of petroleum and natural gas but was shifted to the science and technology and earth sciences ministries, creating a political storm.
The last rites of Reddy will take place on Monday, Congress Lok Sabha member Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said.
Speaking to reporters at Jaipal Reddy's residence, Venkat Reddy said the State Government should allocate a place for performing the last rites keeping in view the popularity of the leader.
We will request the State Government to allocate place for the funeral as thousands of his followers and people are expected to attend. A regular crematorium cannot accommodate such a big crowd, Venkat Reddy said.
He also said the party would request the State Government and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to name a project or place after Jaipal Reddy.
President Ram Nath Kovind expressed condolences over the passing away of Jaipal Reddy.
"Sorry to hear of the passing of Shri S. Jaipal Reddy, former Union Minister. He was a thinking person's politician and an outstanding parliamentarian. My condolences to his family and many associates," the President said in a tweet,.
The Congress, in a tweet, said it was saddened to hear the passing of Reddy. "We hope his family and friends find strength in their time of grief."
"Deeply saddened and pained by the sudden demise of Jaipal Reddy," Congress' Telangana unit chief Uttam Kumar Reddy said, describing the party veteran as an outstanding orator, great human being and an intellectual giant.
"Huge personal loss to me and the entire Congress party. We will miss him," he added.
TRS working president K T Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, also condoled the death.
"My condolences to the family & friends of senior leader & Former union minister Shri #JaipalReddy Garu who passed away earlier today. RIP Sir (sic)," he tweeted.
K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also expressed condolences over the death of senior Congress leader.
KCR in statement recalled the services rendered by Jaipal Reddy as union minister and parliamentarian.
Known for his oratory skills Jaipal Reddy carved a niche for himself in Parliament and State assembly alike. The chief minister conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members, Jagan said in statement.
AICC spokesperson Dasoju Sravan said it's a great loss to the party, to the people of Telangana and the nation.
"I am shocked (on his demise). He was a role model leader. His honesty was impeccable," Sravan told PTI.
"His role in formation of Telangana is superb.He silently did a great job of convincing Congress and various other political party leaders after personally talking to them and persuading them," Sravan said.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
