Former chief minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu is playing a double game in the local body elections in Andhra Pradesh.
On one side he had prompted his party leader, Birru Pratap Reddy, a close associate of Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy to challenge the BC reservations in the local bodies in the High Court and got the State government’s decision quashed.
On the other side, he is now offering support to the State government if it filed a petition in the Supreme Court protecting the reservations for the BCs in the local bodies.
First, the TDP chief had accused the ruling YSR Congress party of playing double game on reservations to the BCs by giving 34 per cent quota for them in the local bodies on one side and making its own leader challenge it in the court on the other.
However, this was proved wrong as the social media had exposed the nexus between the TDP and Birru Pratap Reddy.
With the social media proving Chandrababu Naidu wrong and his party having connections with Pratap Reddy, the TDP chief had come up with a fresh statement offering support to the government in the Supreme Court.
The TDP chief is known for double games and double statements on any issue all through his political career.
Be it the bifurcation of the state or the special category status demand in the post-bifurcation regime, the TDP chief shifts his stand from time to time to suit his political prospects.
Chandrababu Naidu, by changing his stand on key issues from time to time had earned the nick name of U Turn Babu over the years and he continues to be called so even in the local body elections.
In fact, Chandrababu Naidu was to have conducted the local body elections in June 2018 as per the original schedule. However, he deferred the polls fearing negative result which, he felt might reflect on the 2019 general elections.
The delay is likely to cost dearly for the State government which might lose over Rs 500 crore Central assistance to the local bodies if the elections are not held in March.
He would be held responsible if this money goes back to the Central government on any account.
But, with the media support that he enjoys, the TDP chief shifts the blame on the rivals and escapes conveniently.
