REPORTERS’ DIARY : Naidu Pulls Up MLA Over Excise Office Drama

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has taken serious note of Narasaraopet MLA Chadalavada Aravind Babu’s disruptive antics at the State Excise Commissioner’s office. The MLA landed himself in controversy after a video surfaced showing him aggressively pressuring Excise Commissioner Nishant Kumar to remove ten contract employees and replace them with his own picks. The drama unfolded when Aravind Babu stormed into the commissioner’s office, demanding immediate appointment orders within an hour. Without waiting for a response, he left, only to return two hours later and find the commissioner absent. What followed was nothing short of a spectacle – furious over being made to wait, the MLA staged a sit-in, even bringing pillows and lying on the floor, refusing to budge for nearly three hours. Despite attempts from senior TDP leaders, including state president Palla Srinivasa Rao, and top officials to defuse the situation, Aravind Babu remained adamant. He finally left only after assurances that his demand would be reviewed. However, the incident, which quickly went viral on social media, caught the attention of Naidu, who wasted no time in summoning the MLA for an explanation and issuing a reprimand over his behavior. The episode has left TDP leadership red-faced, with many within the party privately questioning the MLA’s aggressive tactics and the potential embarrassment it brings at a time when the party is trying to project a disciplined image.