Allegations of large-scale corruption by certain Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs at the constituency level, along with their high-handed behaviour and controversial remarks, have become a major headache for the party leadership.
Almost every day, the media carries reports against several TDP MLAs, in addition to complaints from the public during Praja Darbar programmes.
Intelligence reports highlighting corruption and misconduct by these legislators have also raised serious concerns for the top leadership.
Though party president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been repeatedly warning such errant MLAs that he may be forced to take stringent action against them, complaints from the constituencies continue to pour in.
Naidu, who is focusing on governance as he hopes to conclude his political career on a positive note, is said to be finding it difficult to rein in these MLAs.
According to party sources, he has reportedly tasked his son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh with handling the complaints against them.
On Thursday, Lokesh convened a breakfast meeting with TDP ministers at the chief minister’s residence in Undavalli, where the behaviour of certain MLAs came up for serious discussion.
Lokesh stressed that it is the responsibility of district in-charge ministers to control MLAs against whom numerous complaints have been received.
He pointed out that Naidu is extremely serious about the indiscipline among some legislators, and it is the duty of the in-charge ministers to address the issue.
He also noted that the public response to the government’s flagship schemes — Stree Shakti, Talli Ki Vandhanam, and Annadata Sukhibhava — has been overwhelmingly positive. Even in Pulivendula, TDP’s recent victory has struck a chord with the people.
However, Lokesh cautioned that these achievements are being overshadowed by controversies involving MLAs, which is damaging the government’s image.
He warned that if such behaviour continues, the party would be forced to take strict action against the offenders.
Lokesh specifically named MLAs Budda Rajasekhar Reddy (Srisailam), Daggubati Venkateswara Prasad (Anantapur Urban), Koona Ravi Kumar (Amadalavalasa), Naseer Ahmed (Guntur East), and Kolikapudi Srinivas (Tiruvuru) as those facing serious complaints.
He said that regardless of who is at fault in these controversies, the government is paying a political price, and legislators must be careful not to damage the administration’s reputation.
Lokesh also raised concerns over the parole granted to the Nellore “Lady Don” and her partner, stressing that such decisions should only be made after thorough background checks.
“Hasty decisions will only lead to unnecessary controversies,” he warned, adding that the home department must exercise extreme caution in such cases.