Hyderabad: President Pranab Mukherjee attended a dinner hosted by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and his wife Ms Vimala Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.
While Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao skipped the dinner citing ill health, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu attended the event. The dinner was hosted by the Governor in honour of Mr Mukherjee, who is on his 10-day southern sojourn in Hyderabad.
Mr Rao, who received the President at the Hakimpet Air Force Station on Monday though Mr Naidu did not turn up, is reportedly down with fever and cancelled all his official engagements on Tuesday. This was Mr Naidu’s first visit to the Raj Bhavan and meeting with the Governor after the cash-for-vote scam broke out.
“Dinner was held in a pleasant environment. Leaders and officials from both the states, besides Army, Navy and Air Force officials attended,” a source in Raj Bhavan said. Since the President is vegetarian on Tuesdays, the Governor ensured sumptuous vegetable dishes prepared by ITC Kakatiya, including Hyderabadi biryani, Panasa (jack fruit) biryani, mirchi ka saalan, pulusu, jowar roti, dosa, uttampam, makka jonna wada, Deccani saag and other Telangana delicacies, it is learnt.
From Telangana, Council chairman Swami Goud, Hyderabad High Court Chief Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale, Speaker Madhusudhana Chary, deputy CMs Kadiam Srihari, Mohd Mahamood Ali, and others attended. From Andhra Pradesh Union minister Sujana Choudhary, deputy CM Chinna Rajappa, Council chairman A. Chakrapani besides chief secretaries, DGP and other officials of both states attended.
