Naidu breaks ice, invites KCR for Amaravati function
HYDERABAD: In an affable gesture that could break the ice between the two leaders, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday met Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to invite the latter for the Amaravati foundation-laying ceremony on October 22.
Since the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh and formation of Telangana in June last year, the two chief ministers have been at each other’s throats over a host of administrative issues.
The magnitude of these issues multiplied as the two leaders let their political enmity influence the government apparatus on their side.
In June, the cash-for-vote sting tapes that embarrassed Naidu and subsequent phone tapping allegations on Rao’s government took the enmity to a new high between the friends-turned-foes.
The two chief ministers had then challenged each other in public rallies and questioned each other if Hyderabad — the common capital — was their ‘jagir’.
However, since that episode, Naidu has been keeping himself away from Hyderabad, touring across the state and mostly camping in Vijayawada.
The proposed new capital of Andhra Pradesh — Amaravati — is now coming up in Guntur district near Vijayawada.
Naidu’s government has taken the foundation project very seriously and is inviting the who’s-who of the nation for the event on Dussehra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest of the event in which the presence of several Union ministers and chief ministers is expected.
Since Naidu’s announcement a few days ago that he would personally invite Rao, the meet was the much awaited event in the two Telugu states.
The two chief ministers have met a couple of times in the past one year or so but it was in formal gatherings, such as the At-Home at Raj Bhavan.
On Sunday, Naidu went to the Camp Office (office-cumresidence) of Rao at Begumpet, handed over the invitation to him and chatted with Rao and his colleagues for about 45 minutes.
Rao has reportedly agreed to attend the foundation project. Several people in the state see this as a very positive development for a bright future of the two states.
Naidu also went to the Raj Bhavan and invited common governor ESL Narasimhan.