It looks like several IAS and IPS officers who were calling shots during the regime of former chief minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in the combined Andhra Pradesh between 2004 and 2009 are eager to join the government headed by his son and YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.
The proposed appointment of senior IPS officer Stephen Ravindra as the state intelligence chief and continuation of L V Subrahmanyam as the chief secretary is a clear indication to the development.
While Ravindra served as superintendent of police in the Chief Minister’s Security wing during the YSR regime and is said to be closer to YSR family, Subrahmanyam held key positions in YSR government and was one of the accused in the Emaar Properties scandal that surfaced during the period.
Ravindra reportedly met Jagan well before the election results and expressed his desire to serve him.
Accordingly, soon after the results were declared, Jagan decided to appoint Stephen Ravindra as his intelligence chief, by requesting Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to relieve him and send him to AP on deputation.
The latest information is that senior IPS officer Sri Lakshmi also reportedly wrote to the Telangana government to relieve her and send her on deputation to Andhra Pradesh.
Sri Lakshmi was also once closer to YSR and faced allegations of helping Jagan’s friend Gali Janardhan Reddy in the Obulapuram mining scandal.
If the reports are to be believed, even senior IAS officer B P Acharya is keen on coming to Andhra Pradesh on deputation. Acharya was also involved in the alleged quid pro quo deal case filed against Jagan.
Similarly, another senior official N V Ramana Reddy, who was Secretary (Protocol) during YSR regime, is also learnt to have met Jagan and expressed his interest to join the AP government.
Another Indian Information Services officer N Venudhar Reddy, who was looking after the Information wing of the YSR government in Delhi, is expected to join the Jagan government as Information Commissioner.
Senior police officials Gautam Sawang, A K Meena and P S R Anjaneyulu, who were believed to be close confidants of YSR, are also going to adorn key positions in Jagan government, sources said.