When political bosses take over and call the shots in a sensitive situation, even on-duty Commissioners of Police can be caught off-guard. Two Police Commissioners were in the thick of things during the two-day hungama triggered by the recent arrest of MP and TS BJP unit chief Bandi Sanjay viz. Karimnagar CP and Warangal CP. Karimnagar CP Subbarayudu was not seen at the spot when police officials dragged out the MP. Nor was he the darling of the media, while Warangal CP Ranganath was giving clarifications and giving counters. A little bird told us that though the Karimnagar CP was present in the locality when Bandi Sanjay was manhandled, the ACP in action got instructions largely from the top bosses. Left to his own devices, Ranganath, who hails from the same community as Bandi Sanjay, has since been sharing with his confidants his helplessness in the entire episode. Ranganath is cut up over being made a scapegoat in the political crossfire.
Ginger group of TS babus in Karnataka polls
Trusted babus can double up as members of a ginger group for the government. In a relief of sorts, some IAS officers from Telangana have been deputed on election duty to Karnataka. Although being put on election duty in a poll-bound state appears to be a routine matter, bureaucratic circles are now discussing the role these select babus are going to play. With the Bharat Rashtra Samiti going strong on its national ambitions and deciding to test waters first in Karnataka, officials aiming to be in the good books of their political masters are likely to pass on crucial inputs. The buzz is that already there is a strong network in Karnataka and the babus posted on duty there will be icing on the cake.
Miscalculation during elections
Two plus two may not be four during elections for officials who choose to go by the rule book and count on their own integrity. For, their calculations could go wrong, depending on the result of an election. In the recent shuffle, Nagalakshmi Selvarajan, who was Anantapur Collector, was transferred as Vizianagaram District Collector. A 2012 batch IAS officer, her transfer appears to have been triggered by her no-nonsense approach during the counting process of the recent MLC elections. The Collector had been asked to intervene in the counting process by ruling party leaders, especially in the counting of votes cast in the West Rayalaseema Graduates constituency. The ruling party leaders had asked for recounting, but she did not agree to it as she did not feel the need for it. She dutifully declared the TDP candidate as the winner. Exasperated, Jagan immediately shifted her to a district far away from her. For newbies, she is the wife of Srikakulam Joint Collector M. Naveen Kumar (2019 batch) and they recently married in Tirupati.
Punishment posting for no apparent fault
At times, when cut-throat politics is at its peak, for a bureaucrat awaiting regular posting even a simple task like scheduling an appointment can be fraught with risks. 1991 batch IAS officer R P Sisodia, as the Governor’s Secretary, had scheduled an appointment for employees’ union leader Suryanarayana and other office bearers in the normal course of things. However, the union leaders, during their interaction with the Governor, complained about the state government not giving salaries in time and sought her intervention. This did not go down well with the state government. The root cause of the HR ‘headache’ was traced to the official giving appointment to the union leaders in the first place. Giving Sisodia a dose of his own medicine, he has now been made the Director General of AP Human Resources Development Institute as a punishment posting.
‘Khaki vs kashayam’
It has become quite common for political leaders to make wild allegations against their rivals. What is trendy these days is for those facing serious allegations to offer to resign if the charges against them are proved. Such an offer takes the wind out of the sails of those making unfounded allegations. This trend seems to be catching on among babus too. After MP and BJP TS unit chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar levelled serious allegations against Warangal Police Commissioner AV Ranganath, including that he was involved in land-grabbing and other murky issues in Nalgonda and Khammam, and vowed to reveal all the misdeeds and illegal activities of the IPS officer; the unfazed CP offered to quit his job should Sanjay prove his charges. A cynic remarked: “We have witnessed ‘Khaki vs khaddar’ in the past; but now it is more about ‘Khaki vs kashayam’.
