Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief and Nalgonda Lok Sabha member N Uttam Kumar Reddy was tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday (today).

He was admitted into AIG Hospital in Gachibowli for treatment.

Though Uttam preferred to remain in home isolation, doctors advised him to admit in hospital as his Covid symptoms were not mild.

Uttam has been campaigning for Congress in upcoming municipal polls in Nakrekal. Uttam also campaigned heavily in the recent Nagarjunasagar bypoll.

Majority of the leaders who campaigned in Nagarjunasagar Assembly bypoll were tested positive including Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, TRS candidate Nomula Bhagat, TRS leaders Koti Reddy etc.

For this reason, Uttam has been demanding postponement of municipal polls on April 30 as election rallies and meetings were leading to spread of coronavirus.

Uttam also lodged a complaint with Governor seeking postponement of elections on Friday (yesterday).

Exactly a day after this, Uttam testing positive came as a shock to Congress leaders and cadre.

With campaigning on at full swing for the two graduate MLC constituencies that go to polls, the opposition Congress party has accused the ruling TRS of intimdating voters.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Monday, Telangana Congress president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that TRS leaders are forcing voters to swear that they will vote only for the ruling party candidates.

Stating that such tactics are illegal, Reddy said that they would submit video evidence to the election commission, and demand stern action. “Failure to act would raise suspicions,” he said.

Reddy claimed that a Congress victory in the two constituencies would force the TRS government in the state, and BJP-led government at the centre, to solve problems faced by Telangana’s graduates.

Recalling the horrific daylight murder of a lawyer couple recently in the state, the Congress leader demanded to know why Brahmins should vote for the ruling party.

Opposition Congress party in Telangana on Monday slammed the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for doing fewer Covid-19 tests and sought Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s intervention in the matter.

State Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy called on the Governor at the Raj Bhavan and complained to her about the state government’s shortcomings in tackling Covid-19 situation.

Reddy wanted to know why the government is not conducting an adequate number of tests. He alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao is taking unilateral decisions without consulting the opposition.

He told reporters that conducting more tests would help in checking the spread of Covid-19. He wanted to know why the government is not allowing Covid-19 tests in the hospitals which received the nod from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the same.

Reddy, who is also a Member of Parliament, claimed that states smaller than Telangana were conducting more tests.

The Congress leader also wondered why the government is not releasing the details of those who died of Covid-19 in the state. In his representation to the Governor, he demanded that the government should pay Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia each to the families of the dead.

He alleged that the government is threatening the media questioning it and totally ignoring the suggestions and advises of the opposition.

Reddy also complained that despite 40 days of the lockdown, the poor have not received Rs 1,500 financial aid announced by the state government.

He also targeted the government for not having correct statistics with regard to the migrant labourers in the state.

Alleging the shortcomings in procurement of paddy, he said farmers were suffering due to the faulty policies of the government.

Earlier, Reddy distributed five lakh eggs and 40,000 sanitisers in Miryalaguda along with senior party colleague K. Jana Reddy. Each family will get 12 eggs and 1 sanitizer irrespective of caste, religion or party.

Telangana has so far recorded 1,082 Covid-19 cases, of which 545 have recovered and 29 have died.

According to officials, the number of active cases in the state is now at 508.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & Nalgonda MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has exposed the flaws in the approach adopted by Union Ministry for AYUSH.

Raising the issue during Question Hour in Lok Sabha on Friday, Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that the AYUSH Ministry has issued an advisory wherein it prescribed some medicines for treatment of Coronavirus. “When the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Prime Minister Narender Modi last night said there is no preventive medicine, there is no vaccine or medicine, how come the Ministry of AYUSH has issued an advisory to the States that XYZ medcine will prevent Coronavirus. This is in contradiction to the advise given by the Union Ministry for Health,” he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said based on the advisory note given by AYUSH Ministry, the Government of Telangana has set up stalls distributing those medicines, including at the airport. “Approximately 10-15 crore people believe in AYUSH. In a disease like Coronavirus, where there is no scientific evidence and no clinical trials, how has the ministry of AYUSH specifically recommended some medicines. Without proper scientific evidence or clinical trials, was it proper for AYUSH to issue this advisory note?” he asked.

Speaking about ‘disinformation’ and ‘misinformation’ in the media, Uttam Kumar Reddy said a number of persons, particularly of the ruling party, have been giving statements like cow urine and cow dung is useful in treating Coronavirus. Some Yoga Gurus are also prescribing some herbs. He said this ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation’ has not been contradicted by anybody in the government.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also highlighted the absence of a mechanism in the country for testing Coronavirus. “As a citizen, if I want to go and test myself for Coronavirus, there is no system in the country or procedure now,” he said.

Further, he also pointed out that the Quarantine facilities where people coming from abroad were being kept were unhygienic.

Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik, in his reply, clarified that the medicines were prescribed based on previous experiences and they could only boost respiratory system and increase immunity. “We did not call them medicines for Coronavirus,” he clarified. Further, he was there was there was nothing to fear as the Coronavirus was being controlled.

Uttam Kumar Reddy, PCC chief of Telangana, is currently Member of Telangana Legislative Assembly from the Huzurnagar constituency. It is known news that he was Former Minister of Housing. He is now contesting again from the same constituency. TRS announced its candidate for Huzurnagar against Uttam Kumar Reddy as Shanampudi Saidireddy. He is an NRI. However, now there is an interesting sentiment being discussed among people about Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Uttam Kumar Reddy is currently PCC chief for Telangana. Prior to him, Ponnala Lakshmaiah was PCC chief. He not only failed to steer Congress into victory in 2014, he himself failed to win as MLA. He contested from Janagama in 2014 but he lost it to Yadagiri Reddy, candidate of TRS. While TRS MLA got 48% votes, Ponnala got only 29% votes. This was a humiliating defeat for PCC chief. In 2009 also, same was the fate for PCC chief D. Srinivas. He contested from Nizamabad (urban) constituency but he lost it to BJP candidate Lakshmi Narayana.

So, in the last 2 elections, PCC chief himself was losing elections. This time also there have been rumors in Huzurnagar constituency that, it is not easy task for Uttam Kumar Reddy to win this time. We will have to wait and see if Uttam breaks the sentiment that Congress party PCC presidents lose as MLA. We will have to wait for 2 more weeks to know if Uttam breaks the sentiment or not.

The war of words between TRS and T-Congress leaders escalated into a brawl after the assembly incident. Legislative Council Chairman was hurt in that incident that took place in the Telangana Assembly on March 12th, the day on which TS Assembly Budget Sessions commenced. Since then, the war of words between both the parties have reached the ultimate stage.

Adding more fire to the ongoing verbal spat between the parties, TPCC Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy heckled KCR’s Federal Front aka Third Front initiative. ‘KCR’s is not Third Front… It is a Tent’, said Uttam Kumar Reddy. He also stated that Congress will start the 3rd leg of the Bus Yatra.

‘Congress party severely condemns the suspension of Komatireddy and Sampath from the Assembly. We will explain to the people of Telangana on this. Both the suspended MLAs have the support of Rahul Gandhi too.

It is the Congress party that will come into power in both the state and the Centre. TRS will not get more than 2 MP seats this time around’, said Uttam Kumar Reddy.

While the Congress claims its ‘success’ as a mere formality in Telangana, the stealthy survey reports are suggesting the exact opposite.