The families of Sabitha Indra Reddy, and Patnam Mahender Reddy, both ministers now with the latter getting an entry into KCR’s Cabinet recently, are known to be poles apart in Rangareddy district’s politics. Sabitha’s late husband P. Indra Reddy, and Mahender Reddy started their political journey with the TD during the NTR era. After the 1995 coup, Mahender Reddy sailed with Naidu and Indra Reddy with NTR. After Indra Reddy’s death, Sabitha joined the Congress and became a minister in the YSR’s Cabinet. After YSR’s death in 2009, Sabitha served as minister in the subsequent Congress governments led by K. Rosaiah and N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, but her fortunes turned and she lost the 2014 Assembly polls. Mahender Reddy on the other hand joined the BRS and became a minister in the KCR’s Cabinet in 2014, but lost in 2018 from Tandur while Sabitha won on a Congress ticket from Maheshwaram, joined the BRS soon after and entered the KCR’s Cabinet in 2019. It is no secret that Sabitha and Mahender Reddy do not see eye to eye but in a signal that they may have to learn to get along, their allotted chambers in the Secretariat are now placed next to each other, something that has not escaped the eagle eyes of BRS political watchers.
KAVITHA READIES FOR HER POLITICAL RESURGENCE
BRS MLC K. Kavitha is trying to reoccupy her political life ahead of the Assembly elections in the undivided Nizamabad district. Kavitha has refocused her attention on the Nizamabad parliamentary constituency, regularly visiting the Nizamabad Urban, Nizamabad Rural, Bodhan, Armoor, Balkonda, Korutla and Jagtial Assembly constituencies, with an occasional trip to Kamareddy, Yellareddy, Jukkal and Banswada in Kamareddy district. Now with KCR deciding to contest from Kamareddy too, Kavitha’s attention has turned to the Kamareddy district, with plans to address a meeting in the Kamareddy soon. She has encouraged 10 tribal gram panchayats in Machareddy mandal to pass resolutions supporting KCR.
FESTIVALS GIVEN FREE HAND AS ELECTIONS APPROACH
When God comes calling, can politicians be far behind? The answer is an obvious ‘no’, especially with the festive season approaching. A meeting of officials by the Ganesha pandal organisers the other day in Hyderabad made this pretty clear when news was shared that there would be no restrictions on the height of idols and food stalls near pandals could stay open all night, which pretty much led to quite a few raised eyebrows. “Why this sudden change?” was the question that went around and quickly a conclusion was arrived at. This is the political season, polls are approaching, so it is obvious that any restrictions that were in place in the previous years have to be thrown out. Adjustments will be made for votes was the final conclusion drawn at the meeting.
SABKA VIKAS, YET TO EARN SABKA VISHWAAS
Talk about serendipity. And, of course, a political pedigree. The recent entrant into the BJP in Telangana state, Dr Ch. Vikas Rao aspiring to be the party candidate from Vemulavada, a bastion of sorts of the Channamaneni family, is taking full advantage of his name. After all, his name figures in PM Modi’s slogan ‘Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikaas, Sab Ka Vishwaas’. Posters and flexis proclaiming his entry into the BJP had ‘Sabka Vikas’ plastered prominently on them. But then, whether he can win ‘Sabka Vishwaas’, only time will tell with serious competition for the party ticket from Vemulavada on the cards and even if Vikas does get the ticket, the outcome, political observers say, is still very much up in the air.
EDUCATION BABU PREPARES FOR GREATEST CAREER TEST
The claim by senior IAS officer and AP’s school education principal secretary Praveen Prakash of resigning if Andhra Pradesh fails to get 100 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) turned viral in government circles recently. Prakash after assuming charge of the post, launched various measures in the education department and is now targeting 100 per cent GER. Recently Tenali mandal achieved the mark. Inspired by this feat, this senior IAS officer, considered by some as not averse to some good publicity, announced his target and also an offer to resign if he fails to do achieve it. The question doing the rounds now is whether he will get schooled in not making premature claims, or whether he will pass this exam.
IAS BABU BLAMED FOR AP’s WOES
Senior IAS officer Rajat Bhargav became a topic of conversation among babus in AP following an interview on a TV channel regarding special category status to AP despite not being part of the interview. A former IAS officer, P.V. Ramesh Kumar, during the interview to the channel, said an IAS officer’s role had prevented Andhra Pradesh from receiving special status. According to his statement, the current situation of a divided Andhra Pradesh with financial challenges and lacking a capital city is partly due to the Centre’s failure to grant SCS. In his interview, Ramesh dropped enough hints identifying this officer who was absent from a crucial and pivotal meeting concerning special status, which played a role in the subsequent lack of decision on the matter by then Planning Commission. Ramesh’s remarks left no one in doubt who he was referring to and Bhargav becoming a point of discussion in the IAS circles in the state.
ROJA DISAPPOINTED AFTER BEING SLIGHTED BY JAGAN
She may have a lot of stage and screen presence, and even political presence but uncertainty appears to loom over the future of AP tourism minister R.K. Roja in Nagari with her not receiving any assurance from YSRC supremo and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding her candidacy in the upcoming elections. The two-time MLA, known for her fiery speeches and cinematic flair, has been grappling with a series of challenges including opposition and internal dissension within her own party ranks. Several senior party leaders, backed by a prominent Cabinet minister, have openly expressed their intention to thwart her re-election bid. Anticipation was high when Jagan attended a public meeting in Nagari recently, but with Jagan not naming her as the candidate the next time, Roja was visibly disappointed.
ENGINEER DISAPPEARS AFTER BRIBERY INCIDENT
When is it safe to accept bribes? Possibly Sunday when few are on duty, or so thought an engineer of APEPDCL who picked the day to make some moolah on the side. But then as it does, the law finally caught up with him with ACB personnel storming his car stationed on the outskirts of a village in Makkuva mandal in Vizianagaram district when the engineer was seen accepting a bribe amount of Rs 40,000 from a consumer who had applied for a power connection to his agriculture pump set. In order to save his skin, the engineer threw the cash in the field and sped away in his car, which he later abandoned before pulling a disappearing act. The law is now waiting to catch up with him in person.
