NETA NATTER | BJP Men Cross The Limits, Literally, With PM A-visiting

In their eagerness to enter the Prime Minister’s good books, a few overzealous BJP leaders in Nandyal district appear to have landed themselves in some serious trouble for breaching PM’s security protocol. During PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Srisailam, a couple of unlisted saffron loyalists allegedly pulled off a mission impossible at the Sunnipenta helipad by impersonating senior party leaders. A probe has now been ordered into how the uninvited managed to breach the highly restricted area during the PM’s send-off. Even the SPG, famed for its precision, was caught off-guard when names on the approved list failed to match the faces on the ground. Adding to the embarrassment, BJP's former state council member K. Viswaroopa Chary, who was issued only a gallery pass, was shocked to learn that someone else had entered the helipad in his name. The district police washed their hands off the affair with the claim that they only handled issuing of passes, and not gatecrashers.

PK Runs Into Raju Block Over Cop

Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and the Assembly Deputy Speaker Raghu Rama Krishna Raju may be two sides of the same coin in some ways but their differing stands on the conduct of Bhimavaram’s deputy superintendent of police Jaya Surya have left several wondering on who will win the coin toss. Pawan called for a probe against Surya alleging that the officer was going against his job chart by encouraging gambling, was getting involved in civil disputes, and was also facing charges of graft. On the other hand, Deputy Speaker Raju gave Surya a clean chit claiming that the police officer had a good track record and was adept at recovery of stolen property and vehicles. He, however, said action could be initiated based on an inquiry, but if nothing is found in that then the officer should not be targeted anymore. With this being the case, all eyes are on CM Chandrababu Naidu who could well play the referee to see how the coin lands.

Kotamreddy Strikes Again… With A Difference

Say what you will, it is hard to keep the Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy down, and away from the limelight. For Kotamreddy, politics without spectacle is possibly like biryani without spice. His 2022 protest in Ummareddygunta remains unforgettable: while others debated drainage issues in comfort, he plunged straight into a stinking canal to shame officials into action. It worked — authorities rushed to the spot, and he made the front page the next morning. During the Samaikyandhra-Telangana turmoil, he swapped slogans for symbolism, offering biryani to truck drivers and flowers to motorists from Telangana, preaching unity through food and flower diplomacy. More recently, he ceded the ribbon-cutting limelight to a Kargil war hero and an intermediate student, turning civic inaugurations into feel-good public moments. And his recent marathon launch and completion of 399 development projects in Nellore and wrapping them up in 60 days, earned praise from CM Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh.

Forget AI. It’s now Rambabu’s PI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be all the rage these days but when it comes to the crunch, it apparently is no match to PI (political intelligence). Just ask a low level TD leader Majji Rambabu from Rajamahendravaram who has blamed AI tech employed by his rivals in the YSRC to embroil him in liquor syndicate-related cases. After an audio tape of him allegedly conversing with liquor business folks on how moneys need to be shared with senior politicians, police and excise officials began doing the rounds, Rambabu using his own PI based on precedents, promptly blamed AI and YSRC leader M. Bharat Ram for leaking fake audio tapes. Apparently to bolster his argument, this TD leader also raked up the old case of rivalry between the then Rajamahendravaram Rural MLA
G. Buchaiah Chowdary, and then MLC Adireddy Appa Rao, both from TD, and how Appa Rao’s son and current MLA Adireddy Srinivas too held AI responsible for recorded allegations against Chowdary ostensibly made by his father.

Minister Has Fever… Who Must Be Blamed?

Fevers are never good news, and sometimes they can raise a politician’s temperature too. AP’s minister for women, child and tribal welfare Gummidi Sandhyarani appeared to have experienced one such moment the other day when she faced the question on her accountability over death of two girl students at the Kurupam Girls' Gurukul School in Parvathipuram, Manyam district, after they contracted jaundice. The buck may stop at the minister’s door when it comes to child welfare but, clearly irritated by the question, and possibly following the age-old adage of what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, the minister wanted to know who she should blame because she too had a fever for several days, indicating that it does not take much to raise a minister’s heat index.

Jagan Moves In, Finally. Watch for Balayya

Trust Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to take his time before stirring the political pot. Nearly a month after Nandamuri Balakrishna’s fiery outburst in the Assembly, the former chief minister has finally responded — with a sting that could sober any star. Speaking at Tadepalli, Jagan wondered aloud whether Balakrishna had addressed the House “under the influence of something stronger than enthusiasm” and if Balakrishna attended the Assembly in an inebriated state and thus spake incoherently. Jagan’s comments did not end there with him wondering who allowed the TD MLA to “speak in that condition.” Where Jagan’s latest attack will lead to is still uncertain with folks waiting for Balakrishna wondering if the actor MLA will uncork a retort, and if so when.

Cabinet Unity Picture Worth A Thousand Words

The political heat in Telangana that rose a notch higher after the Opposition hyped claims of rifts among Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s Cabinet colleagues dissipated like a puff of a cloud in the summer sky last week. Any lingering doubts anyone may have had on the matter were put to rest at the Cabinet meet briefing. Ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Konda Surekha, Ponnam Prabhakar and Jupally Krishna Rao, all of whom who were claimed by rival parties to be at odds with each other, sat shoulder to shoulder on the dais to brief the press. And the fact that Surekha apologised in the media conference to the Chief Minister for her daughter’s outburst put the lid on what was nothing more than a minor stirring in a tea cup that the Opposition tried to whip up into a storm.

Contributions from Sampat G. Samritan, Pathri Rajasekhar, B. Sohan Lal, Vadrevu Srinivas, Aruna, Avinash P. Subramanyam, Md Ilyas, L. Venkat Ram Reddy

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In the booze scam, a temple test

Former minister and YSR Congress leader Jogi Ramesh has apparently decided that temples and lie detectors are the new pillars of justice, declaring that he is ready to take lie detector tests, and oaths at temples, to prove his innocence in the Mulakalacheruvu liquor case and even dared Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and minister Nara Lokesh to do the same. The controversy stems from a video in which Addepalli Janardhan Rao, the main accused in the case, alleged that Ramesh was the mastermind behind the racket aimed at tarnishing the Telugu Desam-led government. But with no takers for his offers so far, Ramesh’s claims of innocence are yet to find the kind of purchase he was hoping for.

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Vishnu tries to strike blow for men

Is a bus ticket just for traveling, or also travel sitting in one of its seats? That is the question the MLA from Visakhapatnam, Vishnu Kumar Raju of the BJP, which is the TD’s alliance partner has for the AP government. The free bus ride scheme for women is all good, but what about men, who bought tickets being asked to get up from their seats to let women sit, is what Raju wanted to know from the government. Raju’s standing up for men being asked to get up and complete their bus journey's standing, is yet to receive a response from the government.