By Desaraju Surya
AMARAVATI: God Siva swallowed poison, after samudra manthan, and held it in his throat to save the universe from the asuras.
Jana Sena supremo K Pawan Kalyan is similarly swallowing one ignominy after the other, caused by his alliance partner Telugu Desam, only to safeguard Andhra Pradesh from the evil clutches (of YSR Congress).
The alliance, though, is intact for now but when will things explode is only a matter of conjecture.
Ahead of the general elections in 2024, Pawan Kalyan stressed he had to “endure many insults” to bring the Telugu Desam and Bharatiya Janata Party together into an alliance with the Jana Sena.
Ironically, he is still having to bear it all.
“In a coalition government, there will be many challenges. Different talk and varied opinions. But I strongly assert that we will continue to stay together as a family,” Kalyan remarked on the floor of the Assembly yesterday, dropping subtle hints about a certain uneasiness.
It may not be such a secret as various events since June last established but there are certain unknown facts in the saga.
The Telugu Desam created the demand, from within its ranks, for making Nara Lokesh a second Deputy Chief Minister akin to Kalyan, but the latter handled it so deftly, not to let it blow over.
To his credit, Kalyan never spoke a word – either in public or in private – about the way he is being treated. Just a handful of his inner circle is privy to the matter.
Pawan Kalyan, following the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance’s stupendous victory, was naturally made Deputy Chief Minister of the state, though he hadn’t actually aspired for it.
He was given the preferred portfolio of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development. On the face of it, that was real good. But the dark fact is that the very crucial wing called SERP (Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty) was detached from the PR and RD Department and given away to some other minister.
Grama Sachivalayams, another wing that has come to stay as a critical pillar in rural governance, was also split from PR and RD and handed over to another minister.
But, Kalyan never complained or lamented the slight.
The Jana Sena chief came up with the suggestion of levying a nominal cess on land holdings in rural areas.
The Telugu Desam vetoed the idea, effectively killing a measure aimed at establishing rightful ownership of land, over which there is a huge mountain of litigation.
Jal Jeevan Mission is a prestigious project aimed at ensuring piped, safe drinking water supply to all households up to the last mile, being implemented with financial assistance from the Government of India.
To make the scheme more effective, Kalyan wanted the ‘defect liability period’ (for the contractors) pegged at five years, instead of two, so that quality of works could be ensured and maintenance expenditure (to government) curtailed.
Again, the TDP red-flagged it, obviously favouring the contractors. The TDP, while objecting to the five-year defect liability period, noted that Gujarat fixed it at two years only.
“Our neighbour Telangana mandated it for five years for a similar project Mission Bhagiratha. It’s almost the same contractors doing the works in AP as well. So, where’s the hitch,” the Deputy Chief Minister tried to reason.
His well-intentioned action was, however, rebuffed by the TDP.
In all these instances, Kalyan remained “helpless” as he appreciates the fact that he is a mere minister for all practical purposes and not “second among equals” as someone else is seeking to position himself!
Moving a step ahead from the British-era system of having only two officers – the Revenue Divisional Officer and the Sub-divisional Police Officer – at the divisional level, the Deputy Chief Minister mooted the idea of having Divisional Development Officers for an integration of command.
More than six months down the line, the proposal is yet to inch forward.
By far the biggest snub of all, which Pawan Kalyan faced, was when – said to be at the behest of Chief Minister’s Office – a scheduled video-conference with all district Collectors and Superintendents of Police was abruptly cancelled.
Following the attack on an MPDO in Kadapa district, Kalyan – after having personally visted the victim – sought to convey a strong message that such attacks against government servants would be dealt with an iron hand.
As it was a subject matter of police, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anita was also involved.
State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police were also slated to attend and all was set for the video conference.
A few hours before it was to start, a message was sent (“from Block-1”) that such a “meeting cannot be conducted”!
Normally, it would have been an insult too much to stomach.
Like God Siva, Pawan Kalyan seemed to have held it tight in his throat.