Whenever Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders cross the line, one familiar headline appears in the media — “Chief Minister and TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu is serious.” The report usually adds that “he won’t tolerate anyone who goes against the party line.” But senior leaders within the party say that whenever the media reports Chandrababu is “serious,” it’s actually more of a comedy. They point out that in such situations, Chandrababu himself leaks information to the media saying he is taking things seriously and that strict action is inevitable — just to create a cover-up story. But in the end, nothing actually happens, the leaders say. A similar situation has unfolded again recently. TDP Tiruvuru MLA Kolikapudi Srinivas Rao made serious allegations against Vijayawada MP Kesineni Chinni and even produced some papers as “evidence.” This isn’t the first time Kolikapudi Srinivas Rao has landed the party in trouble — his aggressive nature has repeatedly put the party in difficult positions.
According to media reports, Chandrababu Naidu said there was no need for the state TDP president Palla Srinivas to summon both the Vijayawada MP and the Tiruvuru MLA for talks — he would personally handle the issue. It is also known that similar reports had appeared earlier, claiming that Chandrababu had expressed anger several times over Kolikapudi’s behavior. However, senior leaders say that every time such stories appear, they only serve as headlines declaring “Chandrababu is serious,” but nothing actually happens beyond that. They explain that before Chandrababu takes any decision, he calculates the possible consequences and how the situation might twist and turn — which is why most of these “serious warnings” remain confined to newspapers.