Hyderabad: It may just be a coincidence but quite a strange one. While Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is engaged in a war with the Centre and even his own bureaucrats back home, two of his most trusted bureaucrats — considered his “eyes and ears’’ — are not with him during his most trying times. Leave alone the top bureaucrats, Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh too is away!
Ever since the electioneering was over, Mr Naidu’s son and IT minister Nara Lokesh is nowhere to be seen, with many saying he has gone abroad while Mr Naidu’s most trusted aides — senior IAS officer Satish Chandra and IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao too are abroad on a long holiday — which has set many tongues wagging both in the political circles who say that Naidu is fighting a lonely battle. Interestingly, even YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has left for London last night!
“Lokesh is incommunicado. Ever since the elections were over; he is not to be seen or heard anywhere. Some people say he is abroad, but we are not sure of his whereabouts,’’ government sources said.
The Mangalagiri constituency from where Mr Lokesh is contesting, is the most prestigious seat for the TD in general and Mr Lokesh in particular.
Sources say that a “lot has gone’’ into ensuring that Mr Lokesh wins the Mangalagiri seat.
But it is not only Lokesh alone who is not with his father at this most trying times for the seasoned politician. Senior IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao, considered Chandrababu Naidu’s close aide, too has left for United Kingdom on some personal work. He is on a 12-day leave from May 6 and will return only on May 19. Mr Rao, who was the intelligence chief was shunted out by the Election Commission following a complaint by YSR Congress, alleging that the officer is partisan.
The fact that both Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy and Mr Venkateswara Rao are in the UK has led to all sorts of speculations in the AP bureaucracy. Mr Naidu has fought tooth and nail with the Election Commission in support of Mr Rao.
Another close aide of Mr Naidu, senior IAS officer Satish Chandra, Special Chief Secretary in the CMO, too has gone abroad on a long leave. He along with his family is holidaying in Singapore and Malaysia. Sources said that Mr Satish Chandra is part of the Naidu’s inner circle and played a key role in formulating strategies in the run up to elections.
“There would have been no speculation (about their absence) had the political climate been normal in the state post polls. But the Chief Minister is engaged in a full-blown war with the Centre every single day. At this juncture, when his son and key aides who are his behind-the-scenes advisors are not with him, it has set a lot of tongues wagging,’’ one bureaucrat said.
