It is difficult to insulate the administration from political influence. Likewise, netas cannot help leaning on babus they fully trust to get things done, be it official or party work. However, it is dicey for babus going beyond their call of duty to wear different hats in the administration without seeing their mask fall off. It now appears that in AP, Chief Minister’s secretary Dhananjay Reddy’s mask has fallen. Going by his day-to-day assignments as the Chief Minister’s secretary, he is seen as being in the thick of politics. A little bird told us that he is holding meetings with ministers and leaders on candidates, changes contemplated at the party level, and will also predictably handle resentment among dissenting and discarded aspirants. The whispers in the corridors of power are that the mask of Dhananjay Reddy has fallen, though it remains to be seen whether his assumed political sagacity will translate into numbers for the YSRCP when results of the upcoming election are announced.