Poll code dampens ugadi spirit

Ugadi celebrations by the political parties were on a low key in view of the Model Code of Conduct. The TDP, BJP and APCC organised ‘Panchanga Sravanam’.

Though normally the pundits predict as to which leader or party would come to power, this practice was given the go-by as elections are round the corner. The predictions centred round general issues. At the APCC office, Srinivasa Murthy, who read out the ‘Panchagam’, only predicted that the Congress has a good future and that AICC president Sonia Gandhi will be in good health.

Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi called upon the cadre to work hard for the success of the party in the coming elections. He compared one’s life to that of ‘Ugadi Pachchadi’, a mixture of flavours.

Former minister Dokka Manikya Varaprasad, C Ramachandriah and others participated in the celebrations. As the celebrations were being held soon after Congress MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao joined the TDP, Dokka said that he too had an offer to join TDP but decided to remain in the Congress.

As far as YSR Congress Party is concerned, the astrologers predicted that the party would see good days in Seemandhra. The party celebrated the Ugadi festival with pomp and gaiety at the party office. Vedic pundits Ramachandra Sastry and Srinivasa Sarma predicted that the YSRCP would emerge as a strong force in Seemandhra. Party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy would also play a key role in the national and state politics after the election. The state would flourish with bountiful rains and crops in the New Year, they said.

It was a low-key affair at NTR Trust Bhavan. No predictions were made on whether or not the party would come to power. The scholars only said that the stars of the party and its leader were bright and indicate ‘Rajayoga’.

Acharya Srinivasa Gargeya, who read the almanac, said that the state may face natural calamities this year also. He advised the governments to be alert so as to prevent loss of lives. Farmers would benefit with bounty crops this year also, he said.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, who was present at the celebrations, said that he would bring back the past glory to the Telugu people in the new and the residuary states.

Noted Vedic astrologer P Santosh Kumar Sastry predicted a good show by BJP in Telangana. According to the astrologer, ‘Jayanama Samvatsaram’ would bring good luck to the saffron party.