Itch For Publicity: Chandrababu’s Obsession With Optics

Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is forever saying something new. His latest comment that both Telangana Chief Minister KCR and PM Narendra Modi are afraid of him, has to be seen in this light. According to Chandrababu, KCR feels threatened by Chandrababu because Amaravati is progressing at a more rapid pace than Hyderabad. When it comes to PM Modi, Chandrababu claims that the prime minister is envious of him because of the progress being made by AP over Gujarat!

What does one make of such absurd talk? Further, Chandrababu made another interesting observation. He claimed that Gujarat had not achieved any progress under Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of the state. The state had developed earlier, Chandrababu said.

The TDP supremo’s remarks made at the time of 2014 elections and subsequent years till he snapped ties with the BJP need to be brought into focus here. Chandrababu Naidu at that time had repeatedly stated that he and Narendra Modi stood for development. He claimed that while he was responsible for the development of Andhra Pradesh in various fields, Narendra Modi had powered progress in Gujarat.

Back then Union Minister, Venkaiah Naidu had also described both Narendra Modi and Chandrababu Naidu as a combination which stood for development. Clearly, the TDP supremo seems to have forgotten his statements of the past and U turns which he has taken. He speaks with an emphasis on opportunism alone.

Chandrababu thinks that because he opposes the PM, everyone should criticise Modi. If that is not the case, he accuses others of being associated with Narendra Modi. In any case, Chandrababu has a very pliant section of the media towing his line and dancing to his tunes all the time.

Chandrababu Naidu’s other bizarre claim is that Amaravati will develop faster than Hyderabad and that for this reason, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao seems to be gripped by fear of Chandrababu! Is there any comparison between Amaravati and Hyderabad? Could Chandrababu Naidu who claimed that nine cities would be built in the new capital city between Vijayawada and Guntur, construct at least one permanent structure? Apart from real estate business in the capital city what does it have on a permanent basis to show? What happened to the Rs.2500 crore allotted by the Centre for the development of Amaravati?

Chandrababu Naidu‘s government called for tenders valued at Rs.50,000 crores. No one quite knows where the money is going to come from. Chandrababu Naidu resorts to some new gimmick each time there is a decline in real estate prices around Amaravati. It is a fact that real estate prices have dropped sharply in Amaravati. A yard which used to be sold for Rs.30,000 has now dropped to Rs.20,000. Moreover, in the place where Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone, one can see weeds growing. This itself is a reflection of the state government level of competence.

All that Amaravati has today is an assembly building, Secretariat and a court, apart from a few apartments and some roads still being built. If Chandrababu thinks he can fool people by comparing this development to that of Hyderabad, he is sadly mistaken. The capital of Telangana has developed over centuries, whereas Amaravati is inching its way on the path of development. To be more precise, development in the real sense, has not even started in AP’s new capital city. Most importantly, Amaravati can never progress on the lines of Hyderabad because of Chandrababu’s wrongdoings at the very beginning.

Had the new capital city been located in a dry region where there was scope for growth, it would truly have developed over a period of 2 to 3 decades. Chandrababu made a mess of everything, and added to it is his fixation with propaganda, which only made matters worse for him. To think that he is prepared to spend as much as Rs.1 lakh crores on the capital city alone! This is a reflection on his planning and efficiency, more than anything else.

Amaravati may have helped Chandrababu’s cronies to further their business interests, but it has not served any public purpose. Moreover, does it make sense to focus on one part ignoring the rest of the state and spending Rs.1 lakh crores on that area alone? In Hyderabad all the government establishments are located over an area of 250 acres, while the rest got developed in the form of roads, water, drainage and so on.

Chandrababu thinks he can get away with statements of any kind regardless of the logic in them and this can only be attributed to his itch to speak all the time. More often than not, Chandrababu Naidu‘s obsession with staying in headlines in print and electronic media gets him into needless controversies.

Also Read: Vijayasai Reddy Questions Chandrababu On Source Of Rs. 50 Lakhs Hawala Money