Lokesh, who in his Rakhi message said children are being taught moral lessons about respecting women, also noted that it is the responsibility of their people’s government to ensure women’s safety and empowerment.
Lokesh and his crores of sisters
Rakshabandhan is all about brothers and sisters and the bond between them. For AP’s minister for education, IT & electronics Nara Lokesh, who does not have a sister of his own, the festival this year was an occasion to reflect on the love and affection he receives from his millions of sisters in the two Telugu states, which, he said, is unforgettable. Of course, being a brother also means realising the great sense of responsibility he carries. Lokesh, who in his Rakhi message said children are being taught moral lessons about respecting women, also noted that it is the responsibility of their people’s government to ensure women’s safety and empowerment.
In a rare case, politico refuses more power
Home is usually where the heart lies, or so it goes. And for senior YSRC leader and Punganur MLA Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, his heart appears set on home, or rather, his constituency. When party chief and former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy reportedly wanted him to handle Chittoor and Anantapur districts too for the party, Peddireddy, once seen as a Rayalaseema heavyweight, is said to have politely declined, saying he is content looking after his constituency. The reasons are not hard to find. Peddireddy’s influence in Chittoor is not what it was after the party’s defeat, with several leaders from his camp deserting the YSRC. Then there is the matter of the various cases he faces. And having crossed 70, travelling across districts might not be as appealing a task as it was before. So, a leader who in the past straddled much of Rayalaseema has chosen a smaller boundary to operate from.
Home not secure, quarrel in YSRC for more territory
The latest political tussle within the YSRC in Nellore district has triggered a wry question: “Why chase someone else’s turf when your own backyard needs strengthening?” The party recently appointed Buduru Guruvayya as coordinator for Gudur, an SC-reserved constituency, but the move has reportedly not gone down well with Kovur and Venkatagiri coordinators Nallapareddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy and Nedurumalli Ram Kumar Reddy, who claim influence over some mandals in Gudur. The irony is that both leaders themselves face criticism for failing to sufficiently strengthen their respective constituencies. Their reported interest in Gudur has, therefore, raised eyebrows within party circles.
Will Ganta son rise be delayed?
What is better: being an MLA or the mayor of a large city? For TD’s Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who represents the Bheemili constituency, it might be a question that cannot be dismissed out of hand. The other day, responding to a query on whether his son Ganta Ravi Teja was in the race for Visakhapatnam mayor, Srinivasa Rao was quick to parry the question, asking why he himself could not contest the polls and adding that he had not retired from politics. Handing over the baton to the next generation sometimes needs careful calibration, and Srinivasa Rao punting his son’s prospects of stepping into his political shoes appears to fall into this category.
Revanth comes face to face with security divides
A minor elevator mix-up at the Telangana Secretariat has turned the spotlight on coordination gaps between Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s security team and Secretariat security staff, while also raising questions over security protocols being followed for the Chief Minister. Revanth was scheduled to attend a press meet in Room No. 29 on the ground floor on Monday. When he entered the lift, the first-floor button had been selected instead. With security staff apparently unaware of the mix-up, the Chief Minister stepped out on the first floor and walked towards Room No. 29, only to discover that it was the education secretary’s chamber. Revanth chose to take the stairs to the ground floor, even as security personnel hurried towards the lift so that he could re-enter it. The incident has reportedly angered the Intelligence Security Wing, as the Chief Minister’s destination and floor are normally finalised in advance and the lift should be preset accordingly. The Chief Minister’s security wing questioned the Secretariat’s Chief Security Officer over the lapse, amid concerns that Secretariat security personnel were increasingly interfering in arrangements handled by the CM’s security team.
Vastu continues to spark BJP fears
Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao’s 48-hour ‘Feesula Bakayi — BJP Ladayi’ hunger strike ended ahead of schedule just a day later after a sharp dip in blood pressure left him unwell. The protest, demanding the release of ₹15,000 crore in pending fee reimbursements and scholarships affecting nearly 40 lakh students, was shifted to the BJP state headquarters in Nampally after police denied permission to stage it at Dharna Chowk. Party leaders K. Laxman, A. Maheshwar Reddy and others stepped in with lemon juice on doctors’ advice as Rao’s pulse fell steeply, bringing the fast to an abrupt close. While the BJP maintained that the early break was purely for medical reasons, some party activists were overheard murmuring that reopening the headquarters’ main door — closed during the last Assembly polls over alleged Vastu defects — might have invited bad luck, cutting the fast short well before the final whistle.
Contributions by Sampat G. Samritan, K.M.P. Patnaik, Avinash P. Subramanyam, Pathri Rajasekhar, Aruna, L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Neeraj Kumar
