Lite byte: The leaking phenomenon 

The leaking phenomenon 

Apart from the byelection, political leaders now have another worry on their minds -- audio and video leaks. It all started with Congress candidate Palvai Sravanthi. Before she was announced the party candidate, Sravanthi’s conversation with a Congress activist leaked in which she is heard saying that she deserves the ticket more than Chalamala Krishna Reddy, who was among the frontrunners at that time. Recently, TRS working president KT Rama Rao’s purported phone call to a BJP leader Jagannatham was leaked and created a sensation in political circles. Two days ago, Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy’s call to Congress supporters leaked and left the Congress in turmoil. As if that was not enough, his chit-chat with followers in Melbourne also leaked. After the series of audio and video leaks, leaders are now shying away from sensitive conversations on phones. 

Parties postal persistence 

Ahead of the prestigious Munugodu byelection, both the TRS and BJP started letter campaigns against each other. Minister KT Rama Rao launched a postcard campaign against the BJP-led Union government demanding removal of 5 per cent GST on handloom products in order to safeguard the lives of weavers. Soon after, Rama Rao started an online petition against the BJP on the same issue. Countering this, the BJP started a campaign against TRS on social media. The saffron party urged the people to write letters to Rama Rao and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao and remind them of the promise to waive `1 lakh loan, 2BHK housing, creating jobs, 12% ST reservation and other issues.

Season for party-hopping and musical chairs

The game of musical chairs is being played enthusiastically by political turncoats these days. As in the game, leaders are going round and round till the moment they can occupy a chair, irrespective of the party or ideology. The recent party-hopping by former MP Dr Boora Narsaiah Goud, former Legislative Council chairman Swamy Goud and serial party-hopper Dasoju Sravan didn’t come as a surprise to many. In fact, the media personnel as well as the common man are now expecting the game of musical chairs to gather steam in the run-up to the next Assembly elections.  Interestingly, every player accuses his or her former party of doing injustice to the weaker sections, and cites this as the reason for his departure.  Considering that the same faces have changed two or three parties in the last few years giving the same excuse, one wonders which major political party is not doing injustice to the weaker sections. Perhaps another round of elections will make turncoats realise that their present party is doing injustice to the weaker sections.

Inputs from  Ireddy Srinivas Reddy, Vivek Bhoomi