The arrival of Prashant Kishor is said to be giving sleepless nights to the YSRCP MLAs and MPs. PK, who is singularly responsible for Jagan’s 2019 victory, is now back at the helm of affairs preparing the strategies for 2024. With an astonishing record of successes in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in 2021, he is much sought after and Jagan values his opinion very much.

Sources say that like in Bengal, where he suggested that 35 sitting MLAs should not be given party tickets, because of the anti-incumbency against them, PK is all set to suggest that at least 60 per cent of the sitting MLAs should be replaced with newcomers. PK’s preliminary surveys have suggested that while Jagan is immensely popular, several of his MLAs are not up to the mark.

The fact is that at least 80 percent of the MLAs have won because of Jagan’s image. Unfortunately for them, the credit for all the welfare schemes and every developmental project is going into Jagan’s kitty. Also, most financial schemes are being directly handled by YS Jagan government. The MLAs are finding it difficult to get any cut in these schemes. So, Many MLAs are forced to take even small bribes. This is actually causing a negative image to these leaders. Such leaders may be replaced in 2024 with someone with a clean slate.

Last heard! Many MLAs are trying to identify the members of the team PK and said to be approaching them with attractive offers if they suggest their names to PK. The survey of the North Andhra region is said to be almost complete.

The Andhra Pradesh government employees unions are finally raising their voice against Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy-led government in the state.

The unions which showed patience for two years after Jagan became AP CM in May 2019 despite Jagan government failing to pay salaries and pensions in time and not extending new PRC (pay revision commission) scales, have finally issued an ultimatum to Jagan government on Tuesday (today) demanding CM to resolve their issues at the earliest else they will be left with no option but to launch agitation programmes and go on indefinite strike.

Employees unions demanded CM to pay salaries and pensions on the first of every month like earlier, extend new PRC pay scales and abolish CPS (contributory pension scheme). These days employees and retired employees are not getting salaries and pensions even after 10th of every month.

They reminded that neighbouring Telangana state government has extended new PRC scales with higher 30 per cent fitment (hike on basic pay from April this year itself while there is no talk of new PRC in AP even in October.

CM Jagan’s chief advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy is learnt to have assured employees unions that he will take up all the issues raised by them to the CM and arrange a meeting with CM in two or three days.

Employees unions demanded AP government extend new PRC scales either as Dasara or Diwali gift immediately.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has set 2024 as the deadline to acquire CBSE affiliation for all the government schools in the state.

At a review meeting of the education department on Monday, Reddy directed the concerned officials to take measures in that direction.

The state government has also set its sights on improving the sports culture in the schools. The Chief Minister said that playgrounds should be mandatory for all schools. He directed the officials to map the schools without playgrounds, so that necessary lands can be acquired and allotted for playgrounds in such schools.

With schools in the state reopening from August 16, the Chief Minister sought to know the status of the Covid preventive measures in the schools along with the attendance of the students.

The officials informed that there is no significant impact of Covid on the schools due to the preventive measures put in place by the state government, adding that all the teachers attending the schools are vaccinated.

While the overall attendance of students in August was 73 per cent, it was 82 per cent in September and 85 per cent in October so far.

Responding to state officials’ proposal to introduce rankings for schools based on performance through social audit, the Chief Minister directed them to discuss the matter with the teachers.

Reddy said that the ranking system is only meant to identify where the schools are lacking, not to point out the mistakes, as he directed the officials to explain it to the teachers clearly.

YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is attracting the attention of political and business circles by using the ‘special flights’ belonging to India’s corporate majors Ambanis and Adanis.

Jagan on Monday (today) arrived on a special flight to Chittoor as part of his visit to Tirupati.

The special flight belonged to the Adani Group.

Recently on August 31, Jagan arrived in Vijayawada along with his wife Bharathi on a special flight from Darjeeling.

The special flight belonged to Reliance Group.

Ambanis and Adanis are known to be closer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and these two top businessmen in India providing special flights to Jagan has become a subject of heated debate in political and business circles.

Jagan has been taking many decisions in Andhra Pradesh which favour Ambanis and Adanis.

Jagan and Reliance Group chairman Mukesh Ambani are sharing friendly relations after Jagan became CM in May 2019.

Mukesh Ambani personally came to Jagan’s house in Tadepalli in March 2020 requesting him to nominate his friend Parimal Nathwani to Rajya Sabha on behalf of YSRCP.

Jagan readily agreed to Mukesh’s request and nominated Parimal to Rajya Sabha immediately.

Similarly, Jagan sold the AP government’s share in Gangavarm port to Adani Group recently.

What is YS Jagan’s big headache these days? Not the implementation of the welfare schemes and not even the financial situation of the state. His biggest problem these days is how to control intense groupism in the party. Almost in every constituency, there is rampant groupism and this is harming the party to no end. If a list of the problematic constituencies is prepared, Nandikotkur constituency will be at the top.

In Nandikotkur, local MLA Arthur and the party incharge Byreddy Siddharth Reddy are in a state of perpetual war. Their supporters clash frequently and during the local body elections, the clashes between the two groups led to deaths also. Arthur and Siddharth Reddy are said to be not even in talking terms.

The YSRCP leadership made several efforts to iron out the differences. The party leadership tried to solve the dispute by giving the SAAP chairperson post to Siddharth Reddy. Instead of reducing, it only went on to increase the tensions. Senior leaders Botsa Satyanarayana and Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy held several rounds of discussions but to no avail. This only led to both groups foisting cases on one another.

Recently, in his capacity as the SAAP chairperson, Siddharth Reddy has inaugurated a municipal water tank. The MLA was not invited to the programme and even his name was not on the inaugural plaque. This led to fisticuffs between the two groups. The officials skipped the programme at the last minute and the MLA is now planning to complain to the high command.

Nandikotkur is an SC reserved constituency and there is no way Siddharth Reddy can contest from there. Yet, the war between the two leaders of the same party is showing no signs of abating. The issue of water tank inauguration is now the hottest topic of discussion not just in the constituency, but even in the district.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s Navaratnalu house sites to poor scheme received a jolt on Friday.

The AP High Court issued orders directing the YSRCP government not to force beneficiaries of house sites to build houses until further orders of the High Court.

Some 128 beneficiaries of house sites moved the High Court challenging the orders of the YSRCP government to build houses on the house sites allotted to them immediately else the state government will take back their house sites.

The YSRCP government has allotted one cent of land in urban areas and one-and-half-cent in rural areas to the poor to construct houses.

The High Court found fault with state government forcing people to construct houses without undertaking a scientific study on the implications involved in the construction of houses in an area of just one cent.

The High Court observed that constructing houses in such a small place may lead to health issues besides fire safety issues and without addressing these issues, it should not force beneficiaries to construct houses.

The High Court also observed that the YSRCP government’s directions on forcing beneficiaries to construct houses amount to a violation of fundamental rights of people and when fundamental rights issue is involved, the courts will definitely intervene.

However, the court made it clear that it was not against allotting land or houses to the poor but only concerned about forcing beneficiaries to construct houses in a cent plot.