Baba Ramdev has emerged as the man to pursue for both Telugu-speaking states. So far he seemed to be tilting towards Andhra Pradesh, having even procured 200 acres of land in Naidupeta to set up one of his units. Now Telangana is wooing Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali group, though its MP Kavitha.
In April this year, Baba Ramdev had come to the rescue of the Andhra Pradesh government that was finding it difficult to find takers for its stockpile of red sanders grown in the Seshachalam forest. Ramdev had come forward and bought 706 MTs of the precious wood.
It was expected that Patanjali Ayurveda group would use the red sanders as an ingredient in its ayurvedic medicines and other products. The deal was worth Rs 207 crore. Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, upset with getting little financial help from the Centre to build Andhra’s greenfield capital, Amaravati, wanted to use money raised by selling red sanders to fund the construction.
But several months later, Andhra Pradesh government officials say the full amount is yet to be paid and the consignment is still lying with the Forest department.
That has not stopped Baba Ramdev from planning to set up base in Andhra Pradesh. Even though there is speculation that the state could also be the base for Patanjali group to manufacture jeans, the Andhra Industries department denies receiving any proposal from Baba Ramdev yet.
Meanwhile, Nizamabad MP Kavitha wants Baba Ramdev to do business with Telangana as well. During a meeting with the yoga guru, she requested his group to procure turmeric directly from the Telangana farmers and also establish a Patanjali Spices plant in her constituency. Kavitha wants Baba Ramdev to replicate his success with buying pomegranates directly from Gujarat farmers and the Orange processing plant in Nagpur in Telangana. The state produces 63 per cent of India’s turmeric, with Nizamabad as a major trading zone.
Politically too it makes sense to have Baba Ramdev as a business partner given his proximity to the powers-that-be in the NDA regime. Sources in the Telangana Rashtra Samiti have constantly hinted at the possibility of the party being part of the Delhi durbar, despite the presence of its bitter political rival, Naidu in the NDA.
Naidu had extended a personal invitation to Baba Ramdev to attend the Krishna Pushkar in Vijayawada last month. Given Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s inclination towards yagnas and prayers, finding a common connect with Baba Ramdev won’t be difficult for Telangana’s first family.
