Vijayawada: The two Umas of the Telugu Desam have scored over senior leaders by coming to the party’s rescue on critical issues and for their role in recent political developments.
National spokesperson Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao has always been in the good books of party president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for regularly recording and uploading comments on YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and for his commentary on political matters Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao has also gained favour for his serious criticism of the YSRC president.
Mr Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao, or ‘Bonda Uma’, the Vijayawada Central MLA, has been posting his political observations and comments on sensitive issues to social media platforms. His contribution has been recognised by Mr Naidu and general secretary N. Lokesh.
“Bonda Uma’s observations are critical, pointed and crisp,” a close associate told this newspaper. He added that Mr Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao recent observations, comparing Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy to AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala, had gone viral on social media, and that several news channels had used his comments in their news capsules.
Party MLA Jaleel Khan has also been known to use this strategy of posting videos on social media to make comments and clarifications on political developments. “This is a practice that I have adopted long back,” Mr Jaleel Khan told this newspaper.
On a similar note, minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao has always been at the forefront of any attack made by the party against Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy. “The minister delivers his messages to Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy in a threatening tone, and so he is in the good books of the Chief Minister,” a retired official of the irrigation department and TD activist said.
However, the Chief Minister is unhappy about the internal politics among his ministers. There are three groups, with ministers Yanamala Ramakri-shnudu, K.E. Krishna Murthy and Ch Ayyannapatrudu on one side, K. Atchannaidu and Ravela Kishore Babu on the second, and Mr Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Dr P. Narayana on the third.
“Ministers belonging to these three groups prefer not to make any direct comments about Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy,” said sources from the from TD headquarters.
Aspirants target Jagan to impress cm
The aspirants to the cabinet expansion are severely criticising YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy to draw the attention of the Chief Minister. The cabinet aspirants, hoping to impress the Chief Minister are leaders like Somireddy, Payyavula Kesav, Varla Ramaiah Jupudi Prabhakar, Bonda Umama-heswara Rao and some others.
They are making use of different locations, as the party office isn’t big enough to conduct all the press meets and also for the convenience of the media. The leaders of TD became enthusiastic after the Chief Minister’s announcement of the cabinet expansion and the induction of Nara Lokesh.
While all the TD leaders are reacting to issues, the cabinet aspirants are more sharp and aggressive in addressing the issues and confronting the opposition, particularly YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy. TD leader Varla Ramaiah, questioned the Enforcement Directorate for not having arrested Jagan Mohan Reddy yet.
