One can understand the Telugu Desam Party leaders and cadres being jubilant over the release of their boss and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu from Rajahmundry central jail on interim bail on health grounds.
But surprisingly, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi leaders in Telangana appear to be going overboard in celebrating the release of Naidu from jail in the alleged skill development scam.
Even Pradesh Congress Committee president A Revanth Reddy, who is still believed to be a puppet of Naidu, has not made any statement on the latter’s release or even his case. But the BRS leaders have issued statements in support of Naidu and hailing his release from jail.
In Khammam, Naidu’s former colleague and till recently BRS leader Tummala Nageshwar Rao was the first one to issue statement hailing Naidu’s release. There was bursting of fire crackers and distribution of sweets after the TDP chief came out of the jail.
BRS leader and state assembly speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy also expressed his happiness over the release of Naidu. He had condemned the arrest of the TDP chief and his harassment by the Jagan government.
On Wednesday, there were posters in Serilingampalli constituency and also advertisements in newspapers by the BRS leaders, expressing happiness over the release of Naidu.
“Welcome to Naidu back into normal life,” said the advertisement, which also has the pictures of Naidu, local BRS candidate Arekapudi Gandhi and former CM N T Rama Rao.
The other day, even senior minister T Harish Rao expressed his sympathies for Naidu for being jailed at this age.
Even state information technology minister K T Rama Rao, who initially said Naidu’s arrest was purely an internal issue of Andhra Pradesh, later relented and said it should not have happened to Naidu.
It is evident that the BRS leaders are not leaving even a smallest chance to garner votes. Maybe, they have thought that Naidu’s arrest generated a lot of sympathy among the young voters in Hyderabad and any appreciation for Naidu might fetch them some votes.