Munnabhai inspires Chandrababu Naidu?

This sounds strange but it is true. The famous "Gandhigiri" of Lage Raho Munnabhai as displayed by Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt is now a part of the daily activity in the Telugu Desam circles. The TD supremo and former chief minister, Mr N Chandrababu Naidu, has set up a huge wall poster at the entrance to the party State headquarters NTR Bhavan. The poster depicts Mahatma Gandhi sitting in front of a charkha while Chandrababu Naidu obediently sits before the father of the nation. The TD leadership wants to send the message that Chandrababu Naidu is committed to Gandhian values and principles.

The TD supremo was in the gaddi of the chief minister for nine long years but never he bothered to spread the Gandhian message. Now that he is in the Opposition, he has set up a big poster with the photograph of Mahatma Gandhi along with that of his own. Inside sources point out that Chandrababu Naidu has been inspired by Munnabhai. Is it a clever ploy to water down film actor Chiranjeevi who is said to be planning to form a political party. Incidentally, Chiranjeevi had acted in the Telugu remake of Sanjay Dutt's film, "Shankar Dada Zindabad". Before someone else could patent Gandhigiri, the TD leadership had rushed through to claim it as its own.

What's going to be Babu's first signature in May 2009?

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu has already got into the election mood. Not only that he is firm that his party will come to power in May 2009 Assembly elections. This he made open before a group of toddy tappers in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Chandrababu Naidu announced that after coming to power in May 2009 elections, the first file he would sign on would be related to exemption of toddy from the purview of Excise department. He came out with the statement as if his Telugu Desam was going to win the elections.

On one hand Chandrababu Naidu is fighting against illegal liquor shops and on the other he wants toddy to be sold on a massive scale without any hindrance. Exemption of toddy from Excise means open licence to tappers to sell toddy and this will lead to adulterated toddy. There will be no check on unscrupulous elements.

YSR loses glamour, develops allergy

The three-and-a half years in power seems to have taken glamour out of Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, political observers feel.

Before coming to power, the Chief Minister was looking quite young, dynamic and of course, handsome. His hairstyle, facial expressions and walking style were quite attractive. But after becoming the Chief Minister, the pressure of running the government has certainly brought a major change in his appearance. He has a hair loss heavily and face has lost its charm. His voice has also become a little dull and his walking style has slowed down.

According to sources close to him, YSR has developed some sort of allergy to caps and headgears. Earlier, wherever he visited to address public meetings, he used to be festooned with different types of ornamental headgears by his party workers and admirers. But of late, he has been politely turning down such offers. It surprised many at a public meeting at Kavali in Nellore district on Friday, when YSR did not accept the headgears, irrespective of whether they were made of silk cloth or flowers. Instead, he took the headgears and placed on the head of those who offered him.

This happened even to former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao, too. Within one year of assuming power in 1983, NTR had lost all his filmy charm and looked old and wrinkled. On the other hand, former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, who was feeling sick and almost on the verge of retirement from politics, became active and healthy after assuming charge as PM!!