Kakinada: The issue of ‘Pekata’ (playing cards) has created a rift within Telugu Desam (TD) circles and brought disrepute to the party. Politicians often employ various strategies to win elections — the caste card, the region card, the religion card, and any other tactic at their disposal. However, playing cards (Pekata in Telugu) has also become a contentious topic among politicians.
Before the elections, the TD campaigned against all forms of gambling, including playing cards, ganja, and gutka, while accusing the YSRC of turning the area into a gambling den. Despite this, the TD, with the support of its alliance partners, won the election. Now, according to sources, the issue of "Pekata Clubs" has emerged as a significant concern in the city.
A second-rung leader in the TD approached a party public representative to propose organising a gaming club specifically for playing cards and discussed the distribution of shares for the event. Meanwhile, another person known as "Bajjeelu," an expert in organising card games and a key player in the YSRC government, entered the scene and held discussions with the public representative.
It is reported that Bajjeelu agreed to pay ₹1.50 lakh to one TD leader as his share and reached an agreement with a YSRC leader to pay ₹50,000 per day in rent for using his building for the card games. Four days ago, the event began with 21 attendees. However, as soon as the event started, the TD leader alerted a Jana Sena leader, who subsequently informed the police. The police successfully conducted an operation, seizing ₹15 lakh in cash and arresting 21 individuals during the raids.
Meanwhile, a viral social media post claimed that Kakinada Rural MLA Pantham Venkateswara Rao (Nanaji) thwarted the YSRC’s gambling plans and drove away their leaders. According to sources, gamblers had identified eight locations to run their card clubs, but they reportedly postponed their plans following the recent negotiations.
Despite the police's actions in apprehending the gamblers, their operation faced criticism. Observers noted that while the police conducted raids on a building belonging to an YSRC leader, they cited a different door number in the FIR. Two Town circle inspector M. Appala Naidu stated that the FIR was registered correctly.
