Political big deals
Though elections every now and then maybe a pain in the neck of the people and the official machinery, they throw up dark secrets about political leaders. Take for instance the Munugode by-election. A massive coal contract worth Rs 18,000 crore allegedly bagged by BJP candidate in the byelection Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy as a quid pro quo deal for switching loyalty to the saffron party left people dumbstruck.
In a counter-attack, chairman of the BJP steering committee for Munugode by-election G Vivek Venkataswamy alleged that awarding of Tadicherla coal block contract to AMR India Ltd by the TRS government, resulted in a loss of ` 20,000 crore to the State exchequer. If these allegations are to be believed, one can imagine the kind of money political leaders make during their careers. The unspoken understanding among political leaders is that: “If you don’t scratch me, I won’t scratch you.” But Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in his inimitable style said recently, “Even if you don’t scratch me, I will continue to scratch you.” Who will be left wounded in the battle of wits?
Acid test for Revanth
It is a hectic month for the Telangana Congress what with Munugode by-election and Bharat Jodo Yatra happening simultaneously. Albeit they are momentous events for the beleaguered party as it’s grabbing national attention, the vexatious affair is all about arranging finances to ensure the success of both. More than anyone else in the party, it is for TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy to show his traits as a leader with the perspicacity to lead the Congress out of the jam and win smiles from the Gandhi family. A source close to Revanth Reddy said that he is in “stress” in managing things.
Hindi hurdle for BRS
Finally, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao unveiled his national plans by launching Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Dasara. But, he may face a major hurdle in getting country-wide acceptance as most of his party leaders are not up to the mark in spoken Hindi, let alone in written language. It’s indispensable for any leader to have a command over Hindi to appeal to a large majority of Indian populace that lives in the Hindi heartland. This deficiency of BRS leaders came to light during the launch of the party amidst fan fare by KCR. The banners, flexies and cutouts put up by Telangana Ministers, MLAs as well as former Hyderabad Mayor Bonthu Rammohan, at several vintage points in Hyderabad exposed their lack of Hindi language skills. For instance, a slogan on a banner read as follows: Desh ki Neta KCR”, instead of “Desh ka Neta KCR”. They got the gender wrong much to the chagrin of national leaders.
Blessing in disguise for top cop
A senior IPS officer in the Rachakonda Commissionerate continues to hang on although he has completed more than five years’ tenure. With election code of conduct having been in force for the Munugode byelection, his transfer seems to have been withheld by the State government. Incidentally, Munugode falls in the jurisdictional limits of the Rachakonda Police Commissionerate. There are two officers eagerly waiting to step in if he is transferred. One is Kamalasan Reddy, Karimnagar range DIG, and the other is V Satyanarayana, SP of Karimnagar. Rachakonda Police Commissionerate is a high-profile department because of its proximity to the State capital. Who would want to let go of an opportunity to hold the reins of such a key job for as long as possible? The officer in question is expected to stay put in his current post till December.
Inputs: Vivek Bhoomi, B Kartheek, S Bachan Jeet Singh, Priya Rathnam