Naidu is praised by media for ’empowering’ many social groups- but this includes a new group called defeated candidates of Telugu Desam party. This is his innovation after coming to power in 2014.
In a carefully scripted strategy Naidu is making his party leaders, who lost elections in 2014, and those, who are likely to be fielded in future elections, influential in their constituencies. He devised a novel technique to benefit them financially during TDP regime and keep them politically fit to face their rivals in their constituencies in 2019. In this method, these leaders are asked to submit proposals for developmental works and officials would recommend these works to the CM’s office. The CMO ensures that the money for the works sanctioned without delay. In an unprecedented way a GO would be issued in the name of the TDP leader sanctioning money. This is the modus operandi the TDP is adopting to weaken the MLAs from opposition parties. Though defeated, in these constituencies, the ruling party leaders would become more influential in the corridors of power than the elected representatives. To seen that the strategy works without any resistance Naidu is said to have instructed the officials in a open call not to ignore the TDP leaders and accommodate their works in one way or the other.
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For example, on December 31, 2015 a GO (G.O.RT.No. 698 ) had been issued by special chief secretary SP Tucker (who is tipped as the next chief secretary) allotting Rs 2 crore to Allagadda constituency for taking up developmental works. The GO reads , ” Sri Gangula Prabhakara Reddy, TDP Incharge, Allagadda Assembly Constituency, Kurnool district have furnished certain proposals for Rs.200.00 lakhs through reference …for taking up of certain developmental works in Allagadda Assembly Constituency of Kurnool district under the scheme Special Development Fund for the year 2015-16″.
Later, the government, ” …after careful examination… accord administrative sanction for an amount of Rs.200.00 lakhs (Rupees Two Hundred lakhs only) to Allagadda Assembly Constituency of Kurnool district for taking up of (59) developmental works under the Scheme “Special Development Fund” for Welfare and Developmental Activities during the year 2015-16 in relaxation of Quarterly regulation orders, subject to detailed verification of the proposal by the District Collector, Kurnool district and obtain work estimates for Rs.200.00 lakhs from Sri. Gangula Prabhakara Reddy, TDP Incharge. The necessary sanctions shall be given by the District Collector, Kurnool at district level with proper scrutiny as per rules in vogue.
How is the money sanctioned just because a TDP leader sent some proposal. Can they sanction money based on genuine requests by the public?
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In Allagadda in the byelections held last year YSRCP Akhila Priya defeated G Prabhakar Reddy. If ignored this Reddy may become inactive. To Keep him happy and active, government invented this way of empowering the TDP leaders both financially and politically.
Normally, this special development fund is sanctioned for MLAs. In the constituencies, represented by YSRCP, chief minister found a way to make the defeated TDP candidate or some important leader a counterweight to the MLAs.
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Another instance Rayachoti constituency in Kadapa district where, in 2014 elections, YSRCP’s Gandikota Srikanth Reddy defeated TDP Ramesh Kumar Reddy. Issuing a GO on 16.10 2015 government released Rs 2 crore based on proposals submitted by Ramesh. Same thing happened in the case of constituencies, Santanutalapadu, Mydukuru, Kamalapuram, Bapatla etc.
In all these constituencies, Naidu is empowering his defeated MLAs and senior leaders. In other cases, ignoring the Pachayat Raj bodies, Naidu is appointing various committees such Janmabhumi committees with TDP leaders . These supra constitutional bodies have been authorize to recommend cases for welfare benefits and removal from the list of beneficiaries. This, Naidu thinks, would make all the TDP leaders popular and YSRC leaders unpopular by 2019 elections.
