Neta Natter AP | Lokesh Turns Out To Be Tougher Boss Than Dad

Like father, like son? Scratch that. The son is turning out to be a tougher taskmaster than the dad. Think Nara Lokesh, whose no-nonsense review meetings and strict monitoring of party leaders are rivalling those of his father, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. At a recent review meeting, Lokesh cracked the whip, as it were at leaders who failed to meet Telugu Desam cadres and heard out grievances of the people. Three MLAs from Kadapa district, Putta Sudhakar Yadav, Madhavi Reddy and Varadarajulu Reddy, in particular, drew Lokesh’s ire for keeping off grievance meetings for four weeks in a row. Constituency in-charges BTech Ravi, Chaitanya Reddy and Paritala Sriram were also on Lokesh’s radar. With both father and son closely tracking the performance of party representatives, TD legislators and party leaders are suddenly seeing accountability in a new light. With Lokesh beginning to tighten the screws, the message is clear: Complacency will not be tolerated.

Did GITAM’s Sribharat target PK?

Was it a thinly-veiled barb at Pawan Kalyan, actor and Deputy Chief Minister? Stirring the pot was M. Sribharat, Telugu Desam MP from Vizag and head of GITAM institutions. The MP strolled in two hours late to an Andhra University fete, where he was the chief guest. By way of explanation, he exclaimed that he disliked speaking at government educational institutions. Sribharat then said that politicians had selective appeal, while actors were universally admired and pointed to actor Sivaji who was taking part in the event. Sribharat has previously dismissed the hallowed university as non-competitive and suggested that its students could not afford GITAM’s fees. He was taking it out on politicians when it was clear that the next day’s event would feature Pawan Kalyan. The actor-politician addressed the students with atypical humility, saying he had no answers to the students’ questions, and that he could not put on an act in front of them. Addressing students was a bigger challenge than fighting against the corruption of the previous YSRC government. Kalyan did not take the bait of Sribharat. For now, an adequate response is awaited.

Harbouring a doubt: How did the boats go missing

Boats going missing from a port, and ruling party politicians making themselves scarce. Is there a link? Apparently so in SPSR Nellore district’s Juvvaladinne harbour, where four high-speed boats seized by local fishermen and moored at the port went missing last month. As talk of “insider currents” started swirling, TD leaders denied any role but fishermen remained unconvinced — and well, fished for reasons for the boats vanishing. Following this, a minister and senior fisheries officials stayed away from coastal villages and confined themselves to Nellore, holding out assurances in press conferences. They were also missing from a meeting this past Thursday where the officials sought fishermen’s suggestions on procuring high-speed patrol boats to protect the local waters. The fisherfolk retaliated by keeping out the politicians and the police out of a community meeting near Pakala. Meanwhile, YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is set to fish in troubled waters, scheduling a visit to Juvvaladinne clearly with the intention of netting some fish.

BJP ‘irebrand’ does it again, but no one is listening

Jammalamadugu BJP MLA Adinarayana Reddy has traipsed his way across the political spectrum, never for long staying put with any one party. Doubtlessly, his run-ins with his previous bosses in the Congress, YSRC and the Telugu Desam ought to have taught him a lesson. The latest to feel the ire is the BJP brass, as well as his former comrades-in-arms in the Telugu Desam. This past week, he fired his latest salvo at a ‘Mana Ooru Mana Jhanda’ programme, where he threatened to resign if the district administration ignored his instructions. It is said his party’s bosses are finding it difficult to rein in Adinarayana, much to the discomfort of alliance partners. Adinarayana’s grouse is that he is not getting enough attention and is taking it out on officials and governing alliance colleagues, and the BJP brass. Officials were however said to be sanguine, making light of his threats and maintaining that administrative decisions cannot be influenced by pressure. The firebrand is surely finding his sizzle fizzling out.

Contributions from Md Ilyas, Sampat G. Samritan, Aruna, Pathri Rajashekar, Ramachandra Reddy Gundam