Winds of change can come in many ways. One that is visible in the new Congress government is the freedom ministers that have been given to speak their minds. Gone are the days of government press conferences being driven by only a handful, something that had become the norm when the BRS was in power. With then chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao holding forth usually, the ministers who would fill the seats on both sides on the dais, would remain mum leaving many wondering if this was a matter of trust or control. Now things are different, as demonstrated by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy who is facilitating his ministers to address the media on issues concerning their departments. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, holding the finance portfolio, addressed a press meet in Delhi recently on the state’s finances even as Revanth sat beside him and watched the proceedings. Similarly, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy addressed mediapersons in Delhi on the Palamuru Rangareddy project in the presence of the Chief Minister. Ministers in the Congress government are enjoying this change and are working independently without waiting for the Chief Minister’s approval to speak about their departments unlike during the previous regime.
TELANGANA BJP STILL HEADLESS
In the Telangana state BJP, it is a case of which cat will carry the bell, and not that of who will bell the cat, if the goings-on in the party with regard to selecting its leader in the Assembly are anything to go by. Internal grapevines have been dripping tidbits of information on how tough the party is finding to pick one of its eight MLAs as the BJP Legislative Party leader. Amidst the trotting out of the usual excuses — because top party leaders are busy with other tasks and so on — the party is grappling whether it should pick an MLA from the Backward Classes as the floor leader after having promised a chief minister from the community if it wins, or if the post should go to the most senior MLA in the ranks?
BJP LEADERS PRAY AT CHURCH IN AP
When it comes to seeking divine intervention, some BJP leaders demonstrated that it does not matter at whose feet they place their problem as long as the word, hopefully, reaches the intended ears, in this case that of AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. It was the Kakinada unit of the BJP the other day which wanted to meet Jagan who was on a visit to their city and submit a memorandum on the city’s development, but the request was denied by officials. Not the kind who get deterred and seeing an opportunity, BJP leaders G. Satyanarayana, D. Subrahmanyam and others went to a church at Jagannaickpur and submitted their representation to Jesus Christ, and prayed at the church that the Lord should prevail upon YSRC leaders to have the good sense to listen to the voices of the people.
NAIDU BUILDING CASTLES IN THE SKY?
‘Kuppam Airlines’ is the talk of the town in TD supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu’s constituency. Ever since Naidu talked about developing an airstrip in Kuppam to help vegetable farmers get their produce out to other places and in the process make good earnings, the proposal has been received with some mirth on social media, with some even posting imaginary pictures of ‘Kuppam Airlines’ and mocking Naidu. These are just flights of fancy, say some, and while others say don’t write off Naidu’s plans, given his penchant for making things happen.
KAKINADA FACES A FRUITY CONUNDRUM
How does ‘Fruity Kumar Science Centre’ sound? Absolutely great, if one were to go by Kakinada MLA D. Chandrashekar Reddy who suggested the name for a science centre, built using Smart City funds. But this proposal has met instant resistance from academics, and those from different political parties, saying there are better people after whom the centre can be named. For the record, ‘Fruity Kumar’ — R. Venkata Jayaram Kumar — who earned the moniker, was a corporator in the city who passed away two years ago during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the suggested name for the centre is not going down well in the city with many saying Kumar made no contributions to science. Instead, why not name the place after Yellapragada Subba Rao from the Godavari district whose stellar contributions to understanding synthesis of Vitamin B9 are well-known, is the question going around.
