‘Corruption Not Limited to MLAs’: TDP Insiders Slam Capital, Power Project Deals
MLAs are more aware of government affairs than the general public. Especially if they belong to the ruling party, they have accurate information about everything happening within the government. If they are also street-smart, they collect in-depth information and can sense even internal developments within the government. It is well known that the coalition government in Andhra Pradesh has completed more than a year in power. At this juncture, certain selected media organizations are repeatedly bringing to light and widely propagating that some MLAs are indulging in extortion. Even though Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh have not committed a single mistake in this one year, there is an attempt to paint a picture that only MLAs are looting and making mistakes. Whenever TDP is in power, the same kind of projection is done by these media. They try to build an opinion that all the mistakes are by the MLAs, while only Chandrababu and Lokesh are sincerely working, and the rest are behaving badly.
Some MLAs are expressing strong anger over this attitude. They are questioning—okay, if the MLAs are making mistakes, what about the mistakes being committed by Chandrababu Naidu and Nara Lokesh? Are Chandrababu Naidu and Nara Lokesh not aware of the irregularities being committed by Minister Narayana and officials in the Amaravati capital tenders? Or are the municipal officials and Narayana acting on their instructions? And this isn’t the only instance. Who is arbitrarily allocating power projects to private parties? Who got tempted by Shirdi Sai Electricals—the same company that was accused of bagging illegal projects worth Rs. 1 lakh crore during Jagan’s regime? Who is secretly orchestrating the handover of Nellore district mines to a Bengaluru-based contracting company, making it worse than what happened under YSRCP? Who appointed people accused of irregularities during the YSRCP regime to key positions? Who is handling land settlements in Vizag? Who is collecting a set amount per megawatt in the allocation of power projects? Who is saying not to give contracts to YSRCP leaders in public, while behind the scenes making sure the same people who worked in the education department during the previous regime get the most contracts? Who has appointed a majority of new people as ministers this time and is exercising unofficial authority in all departments?
Who is using a particular minister’s name to manipulate postings and mining lease allocations? Who is handing over multi-crore projects to newly formed companies without scrutiny? This list is endless, say some TDP MLAs. A senior minister also commented that MLAs are engaging in similar activities because those at the top are openly looting as they please. Some MLAs also criticized Chandrababu Naidu’s remarks about the TANA and NATS meetings. They question what major harm could come if an MLA, who spends five years in the constituency, travels abroad for ten or fifteen days. While Chandrababu and Nara Lokesh can go on foreign trips multiple times, was there really a need for such a strong reaction from Chandrababu about attending the TANA meetings held once in two years, they ask. TDP sources are also saying that CM Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh have spent several weekends in Hyderabad during this first year in power. While it is true that some MLAs from the ruling party are committing mistakes and engaging in irregularities, party leaders believe that the main reason lies in the misdeeds happening at the top level. A senior leader remarked that if those in key positions act as they please while others are expected to remain faultless, do they think MLAs are fools? Even leaders from the ruling party are saying that this time corruption is occurring in a way never seen before in government.
