The buzz is that the CM might rope him in as financial adviser to the state — a role tailor-made for the man who crafted the highest number of budgets since Telangana's formation in 2014
Appointed in May and set to retire in August, Rao's unusually short tenure has fuelled relentless speculation in bureaucratic and media circles alike.
Wherever Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao goes, a familiar scene plays out — journalists cornering him with a grin, asking the same loaded question: "Extension?" Rao, ever composed, responds with nothing more than a knowing smile. Appointed in May and set to retire in August, Rao's unusually short tenure has fuelled relentless speculation in bureaucratic and media circles alike. Is he getting a three-month extension? Or a full six? Will the Chief Minister convince the Centre to green-light it? Of late, Rao has started breaking his silence, albeit with caution. "Three months? Confident. Six? Can't say," he quips, dodging definitive answers but hinting at a behind-the-scenes certainty. Even if an extension doesn't materialise, Rao remains unfazed. The buzz is that the CM might rope him in as financial adviser to the state — a role tailor-made for the man who crafted the highest number of budgets since Telangana's formation in 2014. Either way, Rao's smile says more than words ever could.
Revanth's wife steals show, singing Telangana anthem
At official events, everyone rises for the national or state anthem - but few actually sing it. It's more about posturing than participation. But at the Telangana Formation Day celebrations on June 2 at Parade Ground, Secunderabad, one person broke this monotony: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's wife Geeta Reddy. While ministers, bureaucrats and even the CM stood in respectful silence during the rendition of 'Jaya Jaya He Telangana', Geeta Reddy quietly stole the show by singing the full three-minute anthem in sync. With cameras zooming in for VIP close-ups, the difference was striking. Geeta's vocal tribute didn't go unnoticed. Her gesture was seen as a rare blend of dignity and genuine emotion - prompting many to wonder: When the anthem plays, should we only stand, or should we sing, too?
BJP MLAs turn pals, in hope of some aid
It's not often that politicians from two sides of the aisle join hands, especially when no opportunity is lost to attack one another. But those in Nizamabad have bucked this trend. The ostensible reason? Constituency development. The Congress and BJP are no friends as they claim but here MLAs from the two parties have buried their political differences, and the proof is there for all to see in Katipally Venkataramana Reddy, Dhanpal Suryanarayana Gupta and Paidi Rakesh Reddy from the BJP enthusiastically taking part in government and official programmes in villages, and in various towns of Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts. But there may be more than what meets the eye. This bonhomie is an apparent result of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's repeated assertions that politics are for elections and not after, and now the pressure is on officials and the ruling party to return the favour by ensuring the BJP-led constituencies get their due.
Raja Singh and his bag of secrets
The BJP that prides itself as a party that is unified, and can work with a single-minded purpose, has a problem on its hands. With the question of state leadership in a state of suspended animation, everyone appears to be in the dark on how to handle T. Raja Singh, the outspoken party MLA. Is he a rebel, or something else? His warnings that he has the 'jatakam' of state BJP leaders and can expose them, and reveal how some party leaders were holding secret meetings with the Chief Minister, have been met with silence so far. While Raja Singh threatens to spill secrets, the real expose might be that the 'disciplined' party is struggling to manage its own house.
Jeevan keeps it hot for party folk
Never go close to a wounded tiger. The consequences can be bad to catastrophic. This lesson appears to have been well understood by ministers and top Congress leaders who are no longer keen to visit Jagtial district as they fear that they might be at the receiving end of some well-timed "treatment" in public from senior party leader and former minister T. Jeevan Reddy, known to be nursing a grouse on being neglected by the party. One such leader to experience Jeevan Reddy's ire was minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy who during a recent visit found himself in an awkward situation. When Ponguleti, seemingly in a friendly gesture, attempted to embrace Jeevan Reddy, the latter stepped back declaring "you go rule your kingdom, our work here is done". Congress leaders are now increasingly wary of the ageing party warhorse, and found a way out by staying out of Jagtial.
Ambati gets a feel of police ire
The hand that salutes can also... former minister and YSRC leader Ambati Rambabu just learnt something about this the other day. After being denied permission to lead a bike rally in Guntur, to mark the party's call for a 'betrayal day' on June 4, Ambati kicked off a bike rally to the collectorate, but was soon stopped by the police as the rally did not receive a police permission. Former minister Ambati, well used to salutes while in power, did not take to the police action kindly and waved his fingers in the face of a police officer and refused to back down. It was not long before the police filed a case against Ambati for stopping a public servant from discharging his duty, and thus ended that bike rally.
Did Vijaya Sai predict ex-boss's arrest?
Abandoned? Yes. Adored? Hmmm, maybe. That is likely how YSRC president and former AP CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's relationship with his one-time confidant and warrior-in-chief V. Vijaya Sai Reddy looks like these days. Though Sai Reddy is no longer in the party after quitting it a while ago, he was back in the news desperately denying that he had predicted Jagan's arrest on June 10 in the liquor case being probed by the AP government. Reports on this prediction that ran the rounds prompted Sai Reddy to a rushed denial, and assurance to everyone that he has never spoken against Jagan, and that he also has no issues with the former CM. The problem he has is with people around Jagan, among whom he too was not very long ago, has been his line. However, there are several watching to see if anything happens in AP on June 10.
Kerfuffle over home in AP
From all that is going around, one can understand if there is a belief that the AP home minister's post is up for grabs. For the record, V. Anitha, holding this portfolio, has been under fire on one count or the other, or has faced the ire of not just opposition parties but even allies too. Recall the pronouncement by Jana Sena president and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan who once said he was ready to take this job on too if Anitha was not up to it. Then came the recent TD Mahanadu where Union civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu pleaded with the party leadership to give Anitha's job to agriculture minister K. Acchannaidu, as Acchannaidu is capable of taking action as per not just one 'Red Book' but 10 such books. But then, the Union minister was probably not prepared for the fall out, with netizens suggesting he quit the Union Cabinet and give his post to Narasaraopet MP Lavu Sri Krishnadevarayalu as Rammohan Naidu isn't exactly flying high in his job. And that has apparently grounded all talk of support to Acchannaidu as the next home minister of AP.
=-=-=-=-=
Contributions from Puli Sharat Kumar, Avinash P. Subramanyam, L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Narender Pulloor, Sampat G. Samritan, Vadrevu Srinivas, Neeraj Kumar
Revanth's wife steals show, singing Telangana anthem
At official events, everyone rises for the national or state anthem - but few actually sing it. It's more about posturing than participation. But at the Telangana Formation Day celebrations on June 2 at Parade Ground, Secunderabad, one person broke this monotony: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's wife Geeta Reddy. While ministers, bureaucrats and even the CM stood in respectful silence during the rendition of 'Jaya Jaya He Telangana', Geeta Reddy quietly stole the show by singing the full three-minute anthem in sync. With cameras zooming in for VIP close-ups, the difference was striking. Geeta's vocal tribute didn't go unnoticed. Her gesture was seen as a rare blend of dignity and genuine emotion - prompting many to wonder: When the anthem plays, should we only stand, or should we sing, too?
BJP MLAs turn pals, in hope of some aid
It's not often that politicians from two sides of the aisle join hands, especially when no opportunity is lost to attack one another. But those in Nizamabad have bucked this trend. The ostensible reason? Constituency development. The Congress and BJP are no friends as they claim but here MLAs from the two parties have buried their political differences, and the proof is there for all to see in Katipally Venkataramana Reddy, Dhanpal Suryanarayana Gupta and Paidi Rakesh Reddy from the BJP enthusiastically taking part in government and official programmes in villages, and in various towns of Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts. But there may be more than what meets the eye. This bonhomie is an apparent result of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's repeated assertions that politics are for elections and not after, and now the pressure is on officials and the ruling party to return the favour by ensuring the BJP-led constituencies get their due.
Raja Singh and his bag of secrets
The BJP that prides itself as a party that is unified, and can work with a single-minded purpose, has a problem on its hands. With the question of state leadership in a state of suspended animation, everyone appears to be in the dark on how to handle T. Raja Singh, the outspoken party MLA. Is he a rebel, or something else? His warnings that he has the 'jatakam' of state BJP leaders and can expose them, and reveal how some party leaders were holding secret meetings with the Chief Minister, have been met with silence so far. While Raja Singh threatens to spill secrets, the real expose might be that the 'disciplined' party is struggling to manage its own house.
Jeevan keeps it hot for party folk
Never go close to a wounded tiger. The consequences can be bad to catastrophic. This lesson appears to have been well understood by ministers and top Congress leaders who are no longer keen to visit Jagtial district as they fear that they might be at the receiving end of some well-timed "treatment" in public from senior party leader and former minister T. Jeevan Reddy, known to be nursing a grouse on being neglected by the party. One such leader to experience Jeevan Reddy's ire was minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy who during a recent visit found himself in an awkward situation. When Ponguleti, seemingly in a friendly gesture, attempted to embrace Jeevan Reddy, the latter stepped back declaring "you go rule your kingdom, our work here is done". Congress leaders are now increasingly wary of the ageing party warhorse, and found a way out by staying out of Jagtial.
Ambati gets a feel of police ire
The hand that salutes can also... former minister and YSRC leader Ambati Rambabu just learnt something about this the other day. After being denied permission to lead a bike rally in Guntur, to mark the party's call for a 'betrayal day' on June 4, Ambati kicked off a bike rally to the collectorate, but was soon stopped by the police as the rally did not receive a police permission. Former minister Ambati, well used to salutes while in power, did not take to the police action kindly and waved his fingers in the face of a police officer and refused to back down. It was not long before the police filed a case against Ambati for stopping a public servant from discharging his duty, and thus ended that bike rally.
Did Vijaya Sai predict ex-boss's arrest?
Abandoned? Yes. Adored? Hmmm, maybe. That is likely how YSRC president and former AP CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's relationship with his one-time confidant and warrior-in-chief V. Vijaya Sai Reddy looks like these days. Though Sai Reddy is no longer in the party after quitting it a while ago, he was back in the news desperately denying that he had predicted Jagan's arrest on June 10 in the liquor case being probed by the AP government. Reports on this prediction that ran the rounds prompted Sai Reddy to a rushed denial, and assurance to everyone that he has never spoken against Jagan, and that he also has no issues with the former CM. The problem he has is with people around Jagan, among whom he too was not very long ago, has been his line. However, there are several watching to see if anything happens in AP on June 10.
Kerfuffle over home in AP
From all that is going around, one can understand if there is a belief that the AP home minister's post is up for grabs. For the record, V. Anitha, holding this portfolio, has been under fire on one count or the other, or has faced the ire of not just opposition parties but even allies too. Recall the pronouncement by Jana Sena president and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan who once said he was ready to take this job on too if Anitha was not up to it. Then came the recent TD Mahanadu where Union civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu pleaded with the party leadership to give Anitha's job to agriculture minister K. Acchannaidu, as Acchannaidu is capable of taking action as per not just one 'Red Book' but 10 such books. But then, the Union minister was probably not prepared for the fall out, with netizens suggesting he quit the Union Cabinet and give his post to Narasaraopet MP Lavu Sri Krishnadevarayalu as Rammohan Naidu isn't exactly flying high in his job. And that has apparently grounded all talk of support to Acchannaidu as the next home minister of AP.
=-=-=-=-=
Contributions from Puli Sharat Kumar, Avinash P. Subramanyam, L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Narender Pulloor, Sampat G. Samritan, Vadrevu Srinivas, Neeraj Kumar
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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