It has been nearly 11 months since the YSR Congress Party, led by former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, lost power to the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition headed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
However, it appears that the YSRCP still has its moles within the government, who have been consistently leaking information about crucial decisions to the opposition.
It would be understandable if lower-level officials — many of whom benefited under Jagan’s administration — were acting as informants. But, according to sources, even some senior IAS officers holding key positions are allegedly leaking sensitive information to Jagan.
Reports suggest that a few IAS officers working in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) are in regular contact with Jagan and are leaking updates about major decisions and file movements.
Sources claim that it was a senior IAS officer from the CMO who leaked information about the allocation of 60 acres of land to the controversial AI data company Ursa Clusters in Visakhapatnam.
Reportedly, a cabinet note file, signed by IT minister Nara Lokesh, indicated that land was being allocated to Ursa Clusters at 99 paise per acre — similar to the concession earlier given to Tata Consultancy Services in Visakhapatnam.
Even before the Government Order (GO) was finalized, the note file was allegedly leaked to the YSRCP. Party leaders immediately raised a hue and cry, calling it the "biggest land scam."
The controversy escalated after Kesineni Nani revealed the alleged links between Ursa’s promoters and his brother, TDP MP Kesineni Chinni.
Realizing the leak, the Naidu government halted the issuance of the GO and instead pressured the company to release a clarification, stating that it was purchasing land at â¹50 lakh per acre in one parcel and â¹1 crore per acre in another.
To date, the government has withheld the GO on the land allotment, knowing that once it is issued, YSRCP leaders could release the leaked note file showing the proposed allotment at 99 paise per acre.
Sources say Naidu is now focused on identifying the YSRCP moles within the CMO and the state secretariat!