The secret meeting of retired IAS officer Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar with two Bharatiya Janata Party leaders – former Union minister Y S Chowdary alias Sujana Chowdary and former state minister Kamineni Srinivas Chowdary at Park Hyatt Hotel late in the night of June 13 has kicked up a political storm.
Political analysts say the meeting clearly exposed Nimmagadda’s political agenda as he is not expected to meet any politician outside his office (assuming that he continues to be the State Election Commissioner as per his own claim), that too, secretly at a hotel at odd hours.
The meeting took place at a time when he is fighting the legal battle with the YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy over his reinstatement as State Election Commissioner.
Apparently, the meeting was arranged by Sujana Chowdary, as Nimmagadda and Kamineni had joined him in the room taken by the former.
One can understand to some extent if Nimmagadda and Kamineni had a meeting at the hotel, because the Kamineni is a petitioner in the case and is arguing the case in support of Nimmagadda.
But the question arises in what way Sujana was involved in the case. It makes one wonder whether there is more to the meeting than what meets the eye.
Nimmagadda might have sought Sujana’s help in lobbying with the Centre to see that he retained the post or there could be a bigger conspiracy.
The Telugu Desam Party leaders might think they have nothing to do with this controversial meeting, but the YSRC leaders would definitely drag the TDP and Chandrababu Naidu into the row. After all, Sujana was (and still is) a close aide of Naidu and Kamineni was a member of Naidu cabinet.
Above all, the common thread that links all of them is Kamma caste. What else is required to say that Nimmagadda has a political and casteist agenda?
