Balayya sits in AP CM’s kursi

Amaravati: Controversial TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna has delivered a shocker on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is away at Davos, attending the World Economic Forum’s annual conclave, by sitting in his chair at his camp office and reviewing implementation of schemes in his Hindupur Assembly constituency.

Balakrishna, who is only an MLA, apparently did not find anything wrong in sitting in the Chief Minister’s chair since he is not only his brother-in-law but has given his daughter in wedding to Naidu’s son.

Water Resources Minister D Umamaheswara Rao and several officials were sitting in front of him, obeying his instructions as he reviewed the programmes in his constituency and also certain issues related to Lepakshi festival.

Since Chandrababu Naidu is in a very high constitutional position, anyone whether related or not, occupying his official chair is considered a serious breach of protocol and rules. “This is a serious issue. Those who should protect the dignity of the chair failed in preventing Balakrishna from occupying the chair,” one intelligence officer said.

A senior protocol officer wondered why a senior minister like Umamaheswara Rao had not brought to the notice of the legislator that he was not supposed to occupy the CM’s chair. “Balakrishna may have sat in the chair not knowing that it was not appropriate but others should have told him and saved him from the embarrassment which he is facing now,” said the officer. 

In fact, when Maoists attacked Naidu at Alipiri in Tirupati in October 2003, the then Home Minister T Devender Goud was reported to have chaired a high-level meeting, sitting in Naidu’s chair in Secretariat in Hyderabad. Balakrishna has a penchant to court controversies whenever he makes public appearances but occupying the Chief Minister’s chair tops all of them. It remains to be seen what the reaction of Chandrababu Naidu to the latest development would be.