The YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh led by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is facing embarrassing situations one after the other.

Recently, the mobile phone service providers disconnected services to government staff after the state government defaulted on payment of phone bills.

Today, the newspaper suppliers stopped newspapers to Andhra Pradesh Secretariat and other state government offices after their dues were not cleared by the government. With this, no newspapers were seen in Secretariat and other offices today.

The Jagan government which is spending thousands of crores of rupees on Navaratnalu cash dole out schemes every month is facing troubles to clear common bills like mobile phones, newspapers etc.

There were reports that even the snack suppliers to Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) have threatened to stop snack supplies as their dues were not cleared by the government.

These incidents are giving scope to speculate about the gravity of the financial crisis being faced by the YSRCP government.

Though fund crunch is common for any government in any state, what surprises and shocks all is the inability to pay even common bills like mobile phone bills, newspapers etc, which are just in thousands and lakhs of rupees.

Is Jagan slowly and silently getting closer to former CM K Rosaiah? It appears so. One name in the newly constituted TTD jumbo trust board failed to catch anyone’s attention. One person from Vizag – Pyda Krishna Prasad – has been made the trust board member. Not many would even pay attention to know who this man is.

Pyda Krishna Prasad is a popular businessman in Vizag and runs educational institutions too. Not just that, he has set up Saranya Venkateshwara Swamy temple in Vizag. But, there is another connection that most people know. Krishna Prasad is the son0in-law of former CM K Rosaiah. It is clear that Vijayasai Reddy, who is planning to contest from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat in 2024, has recommended his name. Sources in the know say that Vijaysai is eyeing the Vysya vote in the urban part of the constituency.

Insiders say there is another angle to it. If and when the state’s administrative capital is shifted to Vizag, the Jagan government is planning to use the educational institutions of Krishna Prasad as temporary offices for various departments. Sources say Krishnaprasad has given his consent to the proposal. By making him the special invitee in the TTD board, the YSRCP is gaining the support of the Vysyas and also getting some temporary space for the offies.

In the latest development, Vizag has got two key posts in the TTD. One is Krishna Prasad. The other is Sudhakar. He is the chairperson of the Brahmana Corporation, which is aimed at garnering the Brahmin votes. Both are small but influential groups.

Is YS Jagan Mohan Reddy planning a early elections and throw the Opposition off-gear to secure a facile win. Indications are that he is planning to sweep the TDP off its feet by calling for an early poll. He has asked all his ministers and MLAs that they should start preparing ground for the election. He has also asked the YSRCP leaders to launch a house-to-house contact programme to dispel the opposition campaign against the government.

As if this was not enough, the famed Prashant Kishor team has once again begun working for YS Jagan. Why are they beginning to work two years in advance? This question is rankling many people. The early entry of Team PK is being seen as an indication that Jagan could be planning something very big to upset the Opposition’s apple cart. Another important pointer is that Jagan has said that 80 per cent of the ministers would be used for election purposes.

Jagan said that this will be done from May 2022. Incidentally, team PK too will start working from next year. This means, YS Jagan will go into election more from May 2022 itself. This also means that there could be an election somewhere around mid 2023, at least a year ahead of the schedule.

The internal assessment of the YSRCP is that there is a very positive mood in favour of the YSRCP government mainly because of the welfare schemes. He reportedly wants to go for elections before the euphoria wanes. He also realises that continuing the welfare doles is becoming increasingly difficult. So, Jagan might want to go for polls before the welfare schemes become a huge burden.

In the olden folklore movies, one would see the Rajguru playing a pivotal role in the rule of the kinds. His word used to the law and kings and queens paid obeisance to them. Not much seems to have changed in this despite the advent of democracy. Remember, the chief minister of a Telugu state made his Guru, who is the pontiff of a famous mutt, sit in his chair and bless him. The AP CM, despite being a non-Hindu, has his own Guru, who has great influence over him.

The buzz in the AP political circles is that the unofficial Raj Guru is deciding everything in the governance of temples, especially in Tirumala. He is playing a key role in making changes in the darsanam timings of the Tirumala temple. Even appointments and expansion of the existing committees are being done only after consulting him. Realising his clout, several TTD officials are making a beeline to the seer’s ashramam and are said to be prostrating before him. They are also said to be receiving special benedictions, teertham and prasadam from the hands of the seer.

Significantly, the seer has reportedly asked the TTD to re-launch its bhajan mandals in the slums, dalit colonies and tribal areas to propagate Hindu dharma. The seer is said to have advised them to take action against those resorting to conversion atop the Tirupati temple.

Sources say that it was the intervention of this seer that has influenced the TTD executive board and the chairperson to allow darshanams. The swamy is said to be behind the recent controversy over traditional food service in Tirumala. Sources say that the seer’s proximity to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is being widely spoken in hushed tones.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has written to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar about several Indian workers being ill-treated by their employers in Bahrain.

The Chief Minister sought the assistance of the Centre for the return of the workers to their respective home towns.

In a letter to the central minister on Monday, Jagan Mohan Reddy pointed out that among the impacted workers, a sizeable number belongs to Andhra Pradesh.

“In this regard, I would like to bring to your kind notice that the Government of Andhra Pradesh will extend all possible support to Government of India in repatriating the affected workers, belonging to Andhra Pradesh, from Bahrain,” he wrote.

“I request the officials from your good office to reach out to Resident Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh Bhavan or officers from my office (Chief Minister’s Office, Andhra Pradesh) for any assistance needed for repatriating affected workers belonging to Andhra Pradesh,” he added.