Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan’s ‘At Home’, the ceremonial reception at the Raj Bhavan on the occasion of the 70 Independence Day raised several eyebrows as it saw Chief Ministers K. Chandrasekhar Rao (Telangana) and N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) spending nearly three hours together.
Mr. Naidu flew in to the City and drove down to the Raj Bhavan minutes after Mr. Rao reached there. The two were closeted with Mr. Narasimhan before they made an appearance at what is commonly described as ‘The Stairs’ leading to the imposing lawns of the Raj Bhavan.
Enquiries revealed that the possibility of the Governor facilitating a meeting of the two Chief Ministers may have been discussed to thrash out solutions to issues of division of fixed assets in the common Capital here and about allocation of human resources that was in a fluid state.
Decisions on these problems have not yet been firmed up even two years after Andhra Pradesh was officially bifurcated and Telangana was born as the 29 State and this may have figured in the discussions, a Raj Bhavan staffer said.
It was quite a sight seeing Mr. Narasimhan and his wife Vimala flanked by Mr. Rao and Mr. Naidu stand for a few moments posing for photographs at the head of ‘The Stairs’ before descending on the lawns, meeting the guests on way to the separate VVIP enclosure where high tea was being served. Among other VVIPs were Chairpersons K. Swamy Goud (Telangana Legislative Council) and A. Chakrapani (A.P. Council), Deputy Chief Ministers of Telangana K. Srihari and Mehmood Ali, Floor Leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party K. Laxman and a host of others.
Significantly, Leader of Opposition in the A.P. Legislative Assembly Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy made his first-ever appearance during a ceremonial reception at the Raj Bhavan. Walking past Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao, he stopped and stooped to shake his hands, while looking at Mr. Naidu two seats away, he merely greeted him with folded hands for a moment.
