NETA NATTER | BATTLE OVER HOLY DARSHAN BEGINS

God might work in mysterious ways, but there appears to be no mystery behind the noteworthy rejections by the Lord’s keepers at Tirumala — if the grievances that are being heard are anything to go by. And non-acceptance of ‘VIP recommendation letters’ issued by Telangana ministers and MLAs to devotees for darshan of Lord Balaji in Tirumala seems to be giving a whole new flavour to cross-border political rivalry between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Telangana leaders are complaining that the TTD Board is refusing to honour their VIP recommendation letters, for faster, smoother access to the temple to devotees from Telangana. Apparently among those seeing red over the TTD’s attitude are Congress MLAs Janampalli Anirudh Reddy and Yennam Srinivas Reddy, who say TTD’s new policy not only insults Telangana's leaders but also disregards the cultural connection that binds devotees from both states. If AP leaders can enjoy their houses and farmhouses in and around Hyderabad, why shouldn’t Telangana’s leaders be respected in Tirumala, Anirudh Reddy asked the other day, adding a fiery twist to his statement by threatening that they might block AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s entry into Hyderabad if the policy doesn’t change. As this VIP darshan debate heats up, it’s a reminder that sometimes, even the most revered traditions can be swept up in the fervour of politics — where laddus, letters, and interstate loyalties all find themselves in the mix.

PRINCIPAL REVANTH AND HIS REPORT CARDS

It’s not students but Telangana’s IAS officers who find themselves nervously awaiting their latest ‘report cards.’ Whispers in the corridors of Telangana’s Secretariat suggest that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy recently commissioned detailed evaluations of all district collectors, and the results have allegedly left bureaucratic circles in a state of shock. According to insider buzz, the CM’s ‘performance report cards’ reveals that out of 33 district collectors, only 12 made it into the ‘good’ category, 11 earned an ‘average’ tag, and a surprising 10 found themselves in the ‘poor’ grade. The last lot apparently display negligence, are inaccessible to the public, and tend to skip the weekly Monday ‘Prajavani’ sessions —a key public grievance redressal programme at the collectorates. Notably, these collectors were reportedly failing to meet targets set by Revanth and Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari. With the CM fuming at their lack of accountability, speculation is rife that the ‘tardy 10’ may soon find themselves in loopline postings — bureaucratic shorthand for less significant and influence-less assignments. In an amusing twist, some have begun referring to this as the ‘Collector’s Exam’ with the looming question of whether these ‘students’ will study hard enough to avoid more ‘red marks’ in future evaluations. With Revanth allegedly considering stricter measures, it seems Telangana’s collectors may have some last-minute “preparation” to do to avoid landing in the administrative equivalent of detention.

BJP MLA SHAKES UP HORNETS NEST

Sensitive issues are, well, sensitive and it takes a certain finesse to speak on them. But it appears to be just the opposite with first-time BJP MLA Paidi Rakesh Reddy nearly going hammer and tongs on various issues, including the desecration of a place of worship in Secunderabad, on cops, and others. This ‘enthusiasm’ has become a headache for the party leaders, with some aggrieved folk lodging complaints against Rakesh Reddy with the police. With his comments going viral on social media, the party is beginning to get worried over the fall-out of such acts by this newcomer MLA. Word doing the rounds in Armoor constituency is that the day is pretty close by when Rakesh Reddy will be given a lesson on being disciplined in a party that prides itself over its discipline.

JAGAN CONTINUES TO SKIP ASSEMBLY

Will he or won’t he? That is the question doing the rounds on whether former CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will attend the next Assembly session in Andhra Pradesh. This question was raised by Assembly Speaker Ch. Ayyannapatrudu too the other day at Narsipatnam where he hoped that Jagan will make it to the Assembly and attend the sessions. Ayyannapatrudu also hoped that Jagan would prove his doubts over the former CM’s attendance as unfounded, and explained that Jagan may be reluctant to greet the Speaker in the House with a Namaskaram, and thus may stay away. “I hope he will (attend the session) despite his reluctance to address me as Speaker Sir and I would like to have a friendly chat with Jagan in the House,” Ayyannapatrudu said. After winning just 11 seats in the 175-member Assembly, Jagan has been insisting on getting the Leader of the Opposition status and when the ruling TD led NDA government denied it, he appears to be not showing much interest to attend the Assembly claiming that he will not be given more time to speak at length on issues considering his strength in the Assembly. He attended only for two days in the last Assembly session on the day of taking oath as an MLA and to express protest at the Governor's address.

POLITICAL NUISANCE AT TIRUMALA IRKS COPS

Tirumala has always been known for its sanctity, not for scandalous controversies. Yet, here we are, as the pilgrimage of MLC Duvvada Srinivas and Divvela Madhuri has managed to turn into a public drama no one expected — except maybe those familiar with the duo's ever-expanding list of controversies. The Tirumala police have issued notices to Duvvada and Madhuri under Section 41A, inviting them to appear for questioning. The trigger? A complaint lodged by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams officials, accusing them of turning the sacred four Mada streets into their personal reel-making studio – right in the middle of the Brahmotsavam festival, no less. To top it off, the police are charging Duvvada and Madhuri with public nuisance, but whether they’ll show up for questioning remains anyone’s guess. However, the police, perhaps less entertained by the drama, are determined to take the case forward. Given the pair’s history, we can expect more drama before they face the music.

KISHAN REDDY PROVES HIS CONSISTENCY

If nothing else, the BJP in Telangana cannot be accused of being inconsistent. For instance, Telangana party president and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy is an example of this consistency, folks in the party say, pointing out to his regular references to railway projects in the state, be it the wagon manufacturing factory in Warangal, or the MMTS trains and their extensions. Kishan, viewed as many in his party as one who took on the party chief mantle reluctantly before the Assembly elections, said the other day that the MMTS services extension to Yadadri and how railways will take this up on its own. To be fair to Kishan, he chugs along the track on railway issues but the question is where the funds will come and if they do, when is the question being asked by some in his party.

Contributions from Neeraj Kumar, Aruna, L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Avinash P. Subramanyam, Sampat G. Samritan, Narender Pulloor