The Iftar hosted by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening was marked by the conspicuous absence of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao while his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu attended it.
Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly S. Madhusudanachary too was absent. Sources said Telangana Government’s Principal Secretary (General Administration Department -Political) Ajay Mishra conveyed to the Governor that Mr. Rao could not make it because he was busy with files pertaining to allocation of All India Service officers and other works.
But Telangana State was represented by Deputy Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and Ministers Nayini Narsimha Reddy (Home) and Etala Rajender (Finance). Council Chairman K. Swamy Goud was present.
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Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Chairman A. Chakrapani, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, AP Asssembly Speaker Dr. Kodela Sivaprasada Rao were among those who represented AP State. The YSR Congress delegation was led by its chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
At the customary group photograph, Mr. Narasimhan was flanked by the Telugu Desam delegation on one side and the TRS group on the other, along with Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy. As the exit was to the left of the Governor, Mr. Naidu, on his way out, stopped for a moment and greeted Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy with folded hands, a gesture that was reciprocated in similar fashion.
A while later, as Mr. Reddy was leaving several people in the gathering including some from Raj Bhavan greeted him and even posed for photographs with him. And he obliged, with his customary smile.
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