₹5,000 Cr Tender War: Insider ‘Linga’ Role Triggers Political Storm!
There is growing discussion within IAS circles that a quid pro quo arrangement is currently underway among the alliance parties in Andhra Pradesh. It is widely being speculated that contracts and profit-sharing are being distributed based on the relative strength of the parties within the coalition. As part of this, a key leader from one of the major alliance partner parties has allegedly devised a plan to secure a ₹5,000 crore project by fielding “Linga.” It is being widely circulated in official circles that Linga has long been acting as a benami (proxy) for this leader and the party. After a brief gap, Linga—considered a ring leader—has reportedly made a re-entry into the coalition government setup. There is talk within departmental circles that he is effectively managing affairs in a ministry headed by a key minister from one of the alliance partners. Last year, contracts worth nearly ₹6,000 crore were allocated in that department, and it is being alleged that Linga handled both the allocations and the collection of kickbacks.
Not just that, sources say he is operating behind the scenes in several key districts through special teams. Now, he has reportedly entered the fray again for another major project, this time using a benami company. In the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh, quid pro quo arrangements were typically seen between the government and contracting firms. However, it is now being alleged that in present-day Andhra Pradesh, such arrangements are happening even between political parties—following a “you take this, I take that” model. There is widespread speculation that the sharing of contracts within the alliance government is being carried out in a systematic manner. For instance, certain power projects are allegedly being assigned to individuals linked to one party, while contracts related to other power projects are going to those associated with another party.
Reliable sources reveal that Linga’s team has entered the bidding process for the pumped storage project being undertaken by AP Genco at Kamalampadu in Yadiki mandal of Anantapur district. In fact, a major contracting firm that has been influential within the government had already set its sights on this project well in advance and completed all preparations. However, in an unexpected development, Linga’s team has now entered the scene on behalf of a minister from a key alliance partner. It is being said that senior officials who have been influential in the power department since the coalition government came to power have been entrusted with managing this process.
There are also allegations that Linga’s team is exerting intense pressure on a powerful official in the power department to ensure that no other companies enter the competition—or even if they do, the tender is ultimately awarded to their preferred party. The project, being executed by AP Genco, is estimated to cost ₹4,900 crore and will span 359 hectares. Linga’s team is reportedly making aggressive efforts specifically for this tender. It is also being claimed that, much like how selected firms were awarded projects in Amaravati under a pre-planned strategy, similar efforts are now underway to ensure this contract is given to their chosen entity. Interestingly, there is also a tussle within the alliance itself. While one leader from a key partner party is pushing for the contract, a powerful mega contractor with strong influence over top government leadership is also lobbying hard for the same project. As a result, the allocation process is reportedly facing repeated delays. This has sparked criticism that delaying public welfare projects for the sake of contract distribution is not appropriate. It remains to be seen who will ultimately secure this tender.
