PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana came down heavily on the conspiracy theory being floated by YSR Congress president Vijayalakshmi and her son Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding the death of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. He expressed doubts that the mother and son were behind the death of YSR.

The PCC chief who was campaigning in the Rama-chandrapruam constituency in East Godavari district told reporters at Satyaveedu village that it was clear that bad weather had led to the crash of the helicopter in which the late chief minister was travelling. Subsequent CBI investigations also proved it beyond all doubts.

He said that Vijayalakhsmi was raising doubts about her husband’s death without any proof. “On that fateful day, YSR’s son and wife had said that it could have been better if YSR had not taken the helicopter as the weather was bad. Now, they are changing their tune and saying that there was a conspiracy behind what was obviously an accident. If there is a conspiracy they are the persons who should know better.

"Now we are forced to suspect the mother and son as well, he said. “We are now forced to think that if there is anything suspicious in the death of YSR, the mother and son may be behind it. Perhaps, that’s why they are raising such doubts.”

Meanwhile, the campaign by the PCC chief was lacklustre on Thursday. The summer heat and the lack of interest in the PCC chief’s tour are believed to be the main factors for the poor turnout at the roadshows. Followers of the Congress candidate Trimurthulu found the response to the roadshow to be dull and discouraging.

Shut down Sakshi, it is a propaganda tool, says TD

The Telugu Desam has said that almost 90 per cent of the news pertaining to the YSR Congress appearing in Sakshi, the Telugu daily owned by the president of the YSR Congress, should be treated as ‘paid news’.

The TD also described the election campaign by Vijayalakshmi and Sharmila, mother and sister of the arrested YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as high drama.

Alleging misuse of the media, the TD has demanded that the Election Commission should shut down the Sakshi channel and the newspaper till the bypolls are over.

TD politburo member Y. Ramakrishnudu and Revanth Reddy said the YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy who owned the Telugu daily and TV channel, had converted them into propaganda tools.
They said the EC’s failure to take action against the Sakshi group, despite several complaints by the TD, was a serious matter.

“Telugu Desam has filed several complaints regarding paid news in the Sakshi channel and newspaper owned by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and against airing programmes continuously for hours together eulogising his father, his party, family members, and candidates and for denigrating other parties throughout the day,” Mr Ramakrishnudu alleged.

He said the channel spent around eight hours praising the greatness of the YSR Congress, its founders and candidates.

“The cost estimation has to be done from the date of announcement of the election schedule in the case of both the channel and the newspaper, and included in the election expenditure of the contesting candidates proportionately,” he demanded.