It looks like Parakala Prabhakar, media advisor to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is on his way out, if reports from the Telugu Desam Party sources are to be believed.
According to sources, Naidu has been receiving a lot of complaints from party functionaries about the style of functioning of Parakala, who considers himself no. 2 in the Chief Minister’s Office.
Not a single advertisement to the media goes without approval of Parakala and he has reportedly made the Information and Public Relations department officials mere dummies.
Because of his dictatorial attitude, earlier I&PR boss Ramana Reddy quit the job and went back to his parent department of railways. His successor B R Meena also did not last long and left the post within a few days.
And Naidu is also said to be unhappy with Parakala, after the latter’s goof up in briefing media over his role in the cash-for-vote scam.
The last nail came in the coffin came when Parakala did not do any damage control exercise, when the media was attacking the government over the death of several pilgrims on the first day of Godavari Pushkarams at Rajahmundry.
Sources said Naidu has started sidelining Parakala since then and the latter, too, is not visible much these days.
It is learnt the Chief Minister is bringing a retired military officer from New Delhi to head the publicity wing of the CMO, which is being viewed as showing exit door to Parakala.
Even the recently appointed I&PR Commissioner refused to report to Parakala, saying he was answerable only to the Chief Minister and nobody else.
Let us wait and see what Parakala’s next move is.
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