Hyderabad: Chief Minister K.Chandrashekar Rao did not accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Hyderabad on Saturday. CMO sources stated that Chandrashekar Rao had developed fever in the morning and had decided to stay away.
The CM was listed to receive Modi at the Shamshabad airport and accompany him to ICRISAT sat to take part in its golden jubilee celebrations and later to the Chinna Jeeyar Swamy ashram in Muchintal to unveil the Statue of Equality.
The CM asked Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who was nominated minister-in-waiting, to receive Modi and also send him off at the airport, to accompany the Prime Minister.
Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Union tourism minister G. Kishan Reddy received the PM at the airport, along with Srinivas Yadav, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and DGP M. Mahendar Reddy.
Dr Soundararajan and Kishan Reddy accompanied Modi to the Muchintal ashram. No one was present from the Telangana state government at the event at the ashram.
This triggered speculation that the intensifying political slugfest between the TRS and the BJP since Huzurabad Assembly bypoll and the bitter criticsm of Modi by the Chief Minister after the Union Budget was presented, had spilled over into the visit.
TRS sources said that it was evident from the designation of Srinivas Yadav as minister-in-waiting that Chandrashekar Rao would skip the events, but CMO officials refused to confirm the same till Saturday morning.
CMO officials sought to create the impression that Chandrashekar Rao would receive the PM and travel with him as per protocol. However, a few minutes before the arrival of the PM, news was ‘leaked’ that the Chief Minister was suffering from fever.
Even then, it was stated if his fever subsides, the Chief Minister would attend the Ramanujacharya statue unveiling ceremony in the evening. That also did not come to be, which fuelled political speculation further.
