Strange as it might sound, many top IAS and IPS officers, who were cherry-picked by Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his tenures in the past and present, have turned hostile to him after their retirement.
We have seen how former chief secretary I Y R Krishna Rao, who was given the posting of chairman of AP Brahmin Welfare Corporation after his retirement, had virtually become an enemy of Naidu later.
So was retired IAS officer Ajeya Kallam, who also served as the chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh and has become a bitter critic of the chief ministers.
Both these officials were the blue-eyed officials of Naidu, when they were in service and played key role in every of his decision.
Similarly, senior IPS officer Mohammad Iqbal, who was once Naidu’s chief security officer, enjoyed several important positions in the state like DIG (Intelligence). After his retirement, he joined YSR Congress party recently and has been attacking Naidu and the TDP since then.
Now, the latest shock to Naidu comes from former Director General of Police Nanduri Sambasiva Rao.
Considered to be a close aide of the chief minister when he was in service, Sambasiva Rao on Saturday met YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy at Achyutapuram camp in Visakhapatnam and spent about 20 minutes.
After the meeting, the former DGP said he would be joining the YSRC very shortly.
“It is a good development. We shall take valuable services and inputs from him,” party MP V Vijay Sai Reddy said.
Hailing from Prakasam district, Sambasiva Rao was made the DGP by Naidu, allegedly owing to caste equations. He was made full-time DGP in December 2017 and even gave him extension despite objections from the Centre. Finally, when the UPSC turned down his extension, he had to relinquish the post recently.
Before becoming the DGP, Sambasiva Rao was the managing director of APSRTC and he had brought in several improvements in the corporation. He was always seen as a close aide of Naidu. So, it is naturally surprising to see him in the YSRC.
He is likely to be fielded in the Lok Sabha elections, party sources said.
