Simultaneous elections not imminent: Purandeswari

Ongole : BJP State president Daggupati Purandeswari participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of a Girls Hostel by the Kakatiya Seva Samakhya here on Sunday.

The event was chaired by the general secretary of the organisation Bezawada Venkatarao, while Ongole MLA Damacharla Janardhana Rao and his wife Naga Satyalatha, Tobacco Board chairman Chidipothu Yashwanth Kumar, former MLAs Edara Haribabu, Divi Sivaram, Sri Harshi Educational Institutions chairman Gorantla Ravikumar, and others participated in the programme, and felicitated the General Manager of Bhagiradha Chemicals Venkataramaiah.

Speaking on the occasion, Bezawada Venkatarao announced that the Kamma service organisations across the state are currently providing scholarships worth over Rs 5 crore, with 25% allocated to underprivileged children from other social groups. He revealed that this inclusive approach was initiated in the Prakasam district in 2009 during Purandeswari’s tenure as a Union Minister.

Damcharla Janardana Rao noted the organisation’s 15-year track record of identifying and supporting poor students through scholarships, while Yashwanth Kumar lauded the organization’s services to underprivileged children and outlined various central government programmes aimed at their development. During her address, Purandeswari emphasised that while caste associations are not inherently wrong, they should focus on uplifting disadvantaged members of their community without harbouring animosity toward other castes. Speaking to the press later, she said that the decision on the simultaneous elections cannot be taken by a single party, and that is why the bill is referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, in which members from other parties are included.

She said that the JPC would discuss the bill, gather information, and receive responses from the parties, members, and the common public. After the JPC submitted its report to the parliament, the members would discuss the recommendations and vote in favour or against it. She refused to react to the comments by leaders from other parties.

Responding to the Allu Arjun case, the Rajahmundry MP said that she felt it wrong to arrest the cine actor, as he didn’t instigate the commotion. Arresting him, who is A11, early before the arrest of the co-accused is not appropriate, she opined.