It is generally expected that any minister in a state cabinet will be loyal to the chief minister, who holds the prerogative of selecting cabinet colleagues and allocating portfolios.
However, in a rather unusual case, an Andhra Pradesh minister, who is supposed to be answerable and loyal to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, has reportedly displayed equal — if not greater — loyalty to YSR Congress Party president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
According to a digital media report, this TDP minister was recently traveling to Bengaluru and happened to be on the same flight as Jagan, who was also flying from Vijayawada to Bengaluru.
Upon spotting Jagan at the airport, the minister rushed over and bowed before him — not just once, but multiple times — openly displaying admiration and loyalty, much to the surprise of fellow passengers.
While exchanging pleasantries with a former chief minister is acceptable, the minister’s repeated gestures were seen as excessive.
Unsurprisingly, the incident has reached the notice of the TDP leadership and has become a topic of discussion within the party.
According to party insiders, this minister maintained friendly ties with Jagan even when the TDP was in opposition.
“He frequently visited the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) during the YSRCP government, leveraging his closeness with Jagan to get his work done,” a source said.
During the YSRCP regime, the minister reportedly managed to clear large bills and gained substantial benefits. He is now said to be supporting Jagan discreetly, continuing to assist him from behind the scenes.
A senior TDP leader remarked that the minister is a "master of sycophancy" who knows how to please the powers that be and escape scrutiny.
“He has the knack for staying in the good books of whoever holds power,” the leader added.
Notably, in the past, another minister from North Andhra made headlines for touching the feet of senior YSRCP leader and former minister Botsa Satyanarayana at the Visakhapatnam airport — though he later denied the incident.
