AP Neta Natter | Naidu Recycles PM Austerity Call To Plug TD Symbol
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for austerity, Naidu advised ministers, MLAs and officials to adopt strict cost-cutting measures, including using public transport. And of course, if they can, pedal their way — at least once a week — to the Secretariat on bicycles. While Naidu too called for working from home, using public transport, cutting on foreign visits and the like suggested by Modi, his call to use bicycles is being seen as a masterstroke
Politics, sometimes, can be all about grabbing the opportunity, as any leader who has been around for a while knows. One who has really mastered the art is TD supremo and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for austerity, Naidu advised ministers, MLAs and officials to adopt strict cost-cutting measures, including using public transport. And of course, if they can, pedal their way — at least once a week — to the Secretariat on bicycles. While Naidu too called for working from home, using public transport, cutting on foreign visits and the like suggested by Modi, his call to use bicycles is being seen as a masterstroke. While riding a bicycle to work may be a powerful austerity demonstrator, what was unsaid was free popularity again for the humble bicycle. That also happens to be the TD’s party symbol, well, just happens to be a coincidence. After all, ministers pedalling to the Secretariat could well be a perfect publicity exercise for the party too. But just how smooth this ride will be remains to be seen.
When an MP delayed a train on its inaugural run
Trains are known for their delays, and late arrivals and departures. Usually, such failures to stick to time are attributed to operational issues. A new “operational” clause could now well be added to the long list that the railways refer to on such occasions, thanks to Kakinada Lok Sabha member T. Uday Srinivas from the Jana Sena, sauntering in late for the flag-off of the Kakinada to Hissar Express with 48 halts covering eight states on its long cross-country journey. The train arrived at Kakinada in time ahead of its scheduled inaugural departure, and railway officials were there an hour ahead to welcome the MP. But Srinivas reached the station 10 minutes late, and flagged the train a good 10 minutes behind its time, on its very first run with passengers.
RGV gets a blowback from Tamils
The irrepressible filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma was at it again. The long hiatus in political comments from him ended, and this time he landed right in the middle of Tamil Nadu politics. It all started when he shared a picture and a story. RGV posted an old photograph of the late M. Karunanidhi with a young C. Joseph Vijay, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, claimed that Kalaignar would never have imagined that the child next to him would one day destroy the DMK. Before Varma could comfortably settle into his usual controversial sofa with his favourite drink in hand, Tamils stormed the replies section and flipped the entire script. They reminded him that the DMK had outlived much bigger political storms and advised him to return to his safer genre of creating controversy in cinema. After months of silence on politics, Varma was back at what he revels in, riling folks, and this time too, he appeared to have found his mark.
Narayana’s nudge leaves ally BJP without a home
As things go, this is one political skirmish that may turn out to be one that may not easily be contained. It all began when one of the local BJP offices in Nellore was quietly moved in the middle of the night by local civic authorities. When morning came, so did the BJP workers complaining loudly that their “container” office was removed illegally, and even worse, their party flag on it was thrown into a garbage bin. Municipal officials were quick to try and explain that the container office was only shifted to another location, and that no flag was dumped in a garbage bin. But that has not stopped the BJP folks from continuing their protests in the incident, which, despite Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s advice to TD folks to carry the allies without causing too many problems, was apparently found too heavy to follow by the local TD leaders. While minister P. Narayana’s supporters say the container was blocking the way to a house, the BJP leaders say the issue was all about respecting an alliance partner, and removing an office lock, stock and container, was just not on.
Revanth puts rapier-sharp repartee on show
Politics met Tollywood comedy at A. Revanth Reddy’s informal media chat on May 11, where one-liners flew faster than political jibes and showed the Chief Minister’s mastery at political repartee. Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark that Maoism thrived during Congress rule, Revanth casually observed that the BJP had “grown up” during the very same era. Then came the cinematic twist. Picking up Modi’s oft-repeated success story — the BJP’s rise from two Lok Sabha seats to a 300-plus juggernaut — Revanth reached straight into the Tollywood comedy vault. He likened the BJP’s journey to comedian Brahmanandam’s unforgettable character arc in ‘Attarintiki Daredi’: from rags to riches and, eventually, back to square one. Revanth, clearly enjoying the moment, predicted that the BJP’s blockbuster run may also end with a sequel that nobody in the party wants to watch — a return to the original “two-seat” days. Political satire, Telangana-style, came with full Tollywood masala.
Contributions from Md Ilyas, Pathri Rajasekhar, Avinash P. Subramanyam, L. Venkat Ram Reddy
