Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s opening remarks during the May 27 video conference with district collectors sent shockwaves through both political and bureaucratic circles. The CM, known for his measured approach, unleashed a rare show of anger, accusing ministers and district officials of failing to address the Opposition’s ‘false propaganda’ on paddy procurement. “Your silence is letting the Opposition’s lies gain ground in the media,” Revanth fumed at the meeting, also attended by a group of ministers. “You’ve allowed them to attack the government without any rebuttal, thinking it’s just political bashing. But remember, the government is not just me — it’s you too.” This rare outburst appears to have jolted the administration into action. Within just three days, ministers and collectors were seen in the field, directly addressing paddy procurement issues and countering opposition claims head-on. Whether this marks a new, aggressive phase in Revanth Reddy’s leadership remains to be seen, but, for now, his message has been loud and clear.
Munugode, where even ministers fear to tread
Turf protection in politics cannot be understated, and one who has taken this very seriously is the MLA from Munugode, Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, the younger brother of minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. Such has been his penchant for preventing undue influence from others in Munugode that even ministers from erstwhile Nalgonda district, Uttam Kumar Reddy as well as Raj Gopal Reddy’s brother Venkat Reddy, have steered clear of Munugode constituency. So has the district in-charge minister Tummala Nageswara Rao. Known for speaking out, Raj Gopal Reddy has also apparently struck some fear among officials – his outburst against the district collector over how welfare schemes were being implemented and alleged irregularities in them in Munugode is now stuff of legend. His followers say, if a minister has to visit Munugode, then it will be Raj Gopal Reddy once he gets a Cabinet post in the Revanth Reddy government.
Spooked? ACB boss passes the gag order
The Telangana ACB, or the Anti-Corruption Bureau, for all its onerous responsibility of rooting out corruption, or at least catching some of the corrupt and ensuring that they are punished as per law, appears to have taken a leaf out of the practices followed by those it hunts. That is, do everything in great secrecy. That the ACB has been groping in the dark, either deliberately or because someone at the top decided not to pursue high-profile cases with any vigour, is all but clear. In this atmosphere, ACB Director-General Vijay Kumar has issued gag orders on all in the bureau, and even banned media personnel from entering the office premises in Banjara Hills apparently to hide the inaction. With back his to the wall, and facing heat from the top, the ACB boss wanted to show how things are under control and issued notices to BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao to appear before the ACB in the Formula E race case. The only hitch? The ACB knew of Rama Rao’s plans to go abroad but went ahead and issued the notice anyway. Working and doing one’s job is one thing, and making it appear as if working hard is another thing altogether. But official word on this is hard to come by as the ACB for all practical purposes has turned into an anti-communication bureau.
Kavitha-Ktr Fight Contrasts Rahul-Priyanka Friendship
BRS MLC K. Kavitha’s recent comments on the goings-on in her party, and her own future and status, have finally thrown the doors open on the bitter and possibly internecine battle that has been brewing for a while in the once tightly-controlled party affairs. Her ongoing war with her brother and party working president K.T. Rama Rao is just one in a line of such brother-sister battles in politics, as was seen in the neighbouring AP between Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Y.S. Sharmila. The reasons for the battles may be several, a share of political power, family jewels, and others, but what Kavitha has done is to rock the boat, and target the clear heir apparent in the BRS, even as family patriarch KCR, the man who built the BRS, watches from the sidelines, at least for now. This feud within the BRS appears in contrast to another brother-sister duo, that of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, with the latter, for all practical purposes, standing by her brother and staying away until called upon for assistance. Ambitions can be dangerous, and the BRS is finding it out the hard way, while Congress and BJP watch with some glee the goings-on.
KTR misfires again, this time on Medigadda
Shooting faster than his own shadow? This may be stuff of comic book fiction as fans of Lucky Luke may know, but jumping the gun is another thing altogether. An itchy trigger finger is what BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao appears to have. Quick to tweet on a variety of subjects, the speed oftentimes makes the aim go awry. As in the case of KTR’s pat on the back to L&T, the company that found itself in the Medigadda quagmire. KTR’s post on X complimenting the firm for ‘questioning’ the National Dam Safety Authority report on Medigadda has left several wondering why KTR again missed his mark. The company had only sought clarifications on the report in a letter to the irrigation department, and pointed out that some aspects in the report had nothing to do with it. KTR’s quick-gun response is leaving several wondering where the BRS may be heading with the whole Medigadda issue.
PK’s screen grab may ruin the script
After the infamous ‘seize the ship’ orders of AP Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, it is apparently time for ‘seize the theatres’ orders. PK on the other day went beyond his ministry and ordered the cinematography ministry to launch a drive against cinema halls to verify hygiene and excess charging for snacks. The move definitely is not out of love for movie-goers but to arm-twist theatre-owners who had threatened to shut shop before the release of his film, ‘Hariharaveeramallu’. The district revenue administrations swung into action but the question remains how long these drives would go on, or more precisely would they go on even after the PK’s movie goes off screens. And, the film hero must do his homework properly before issuing the seizure orders or else his moves will end up like some of his movies that flopped due to bad scripts. The Supreme Court itself refused to get into eatery prices in theatres and left it to film buffs to eat there or not. Earlier too, his ‘seize the ship’ orders proved a dud because the High Court had already cleared the voyage of the rice-laden ‘Stella L. Panama’ to West Africa.
Luck smiles on AP DGP, twice
The Supreme Court insists that its ‘Prakash Singh’ guidelines for appointment of the Director General of Police be followed strictly. Several states have found their way around the guidelines. The Andhra Pradesh government is doing differently. It has made everyone believe that it is implementing the apex court order but in reality violated the guidelines to pick its choice, Harish Kumar Gupta, as the police boss. As per the guidelines, the state should not include in the shortlist it sends the UPSC, officers who have less than six months to retire. Gupta is due for retirement in August this year, having but three months left. Yet, he not only made the list but was also appointed top cop. What is more interesting is that Lady Luck smiles at Gupta whenever the state has to send a panel of names. The Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government was forced by the Election Commission of India to replace then DG Rajendranath Reddy. While sending three names for his replacement, the Jagan government ignored Sowmya Mishra and preferred Gupta as their man Friday. He went on to become the DGP during polls. And, avoiding the run-out, he is back at the crease again.
C/o AP: Naidu takes fight out of YSRC
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has laid to rest, the YSRC-led propaganda on where his address was. Back in 2019, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy built a house in Tadepalli and declared himself the only leader with a permanent address in Andhra Pradesh. The YSRC later obsessed over Naidu’s pincode, labelling him a ‘tourist’ in Kuppam. Then there are the memories that have stayed strong among TD cadres over their anxiety on vastu at Naidu’s Karakatta residence and how it may have contributed to his arrest. But now, all that hand-wringing has been put to rest with Naidu holding a housewarming in Kuppam, and building a house in Amaravati. The message is that Naidu has moved in, changed the locks, and built two new roofs to finally shut down YSRC’s GPS-level obsession.
Son rise stalled, Nehru in a dark mood
Politicians may sometimes believe they are as wily as a fox, but it may turn out, as in the Aesop’s fables, a case of fox with sour grapes. Such appears to be the situation senior TD leader and Jaggampeta MLA Jyothula Venkata Appa Rao (Nehru) finds himself in. Apparently irked by the denial of the DCCB chairman post to his son Jyothula Naveen Kumar, Nehru the other day blurted out that TD had made a serious mistake in entering into an alliance with another party and would face doom as a result of this. For proof, he alluded to the TD’s past alliance with two communist parties more than a decade ago after which they pretty much got wiped out. Nehru’s warning that TD will now face the same fate because of its alliance left none in doubt who he was aiming at with his shadow boxing. With Jana Sena leaders getting various posts, Nehru is ‘worried’ about the TD’s future, though the sour grapes were discovered more because the DCCB chairman post went to a Jana Sena leader from Kakinada district.
YSRC’s serial abuser gets it back
The adage ‘reap as you sow’ may well now apply to former YSRC minister and former professor at Andhra Medical College Dr Sidiri Appala Raju. The man, not unfamiliar to many as one who can let loose some unprintable stuff about others and use foul language, found himself at the receiving end the other day at the Vajrapukotturu police station in Srikakulam district. While there, he questioned why the police were not acting against those who demolished a cow shed owned by a family targeted allegedly by TD workers. A heated argument ensued and an apparently fed-up inspector of police employed the kind of language the former minister was pretty familiar with. Though the exchange did not go down well with those watching the goings-on, particularly a police officer speaking in the manner, the consensus was that Appala Raju finally learnt what it is to be at the receiving end of a slanging match.
Contributes from KMP Patnaik, Avinash P. Subramanyam, Mouli Mareedu, N. Vamsi Srinivas, L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Vadrevu Srinivas, Balu Pulipaka, P. Srinivas
