AP power minister faces crisis on his own turf

By M H Ahssan

The wind seems to be blowing against Mohd Shabbir Ali in Kamareddy assembly constituency. The ‘power minister’ in the YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s cabinet looks like powerless what with his brother and ‘chinna minister’ as he is being called in the local political circles, Mohd Nayeem playing spoilsport.

Sources said Shabbir is facing greater hurdles this time round because of his brother’s autocratic functioning in the constituency. “In the name of the minister, Nayeem was striking large contracts and raking in huge moolah,” a local Congress leader not wanting to be named alleged.

With the minister not accessible to party workers, it was Nayeem who was calling the shots even in Kamareddy party matters. “The chinna minister has not only damaged the reputation of Shabbir Ali but also that of the party in the eyes of the public and workers,” a minority leader of the party told HNN.

Things have come to such a pass that workers and local leaders were finding it difficult to approach the minister because of Nayeem, he said. Though Shabbir Ali is branded as a close follower of chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, no key nominated post was given to his followers, much to their chagrin.

That the minister was facing the wrath of the party workers was out in full public view at Domakonda recently when the cadre grilled him during the mandal-level meeting on Nayeem’s “extra” role in the party. “The minister was clueless when they cornered him on Nayeem,” a party insider said.

Though the minister — on a number of occasions — has claimed that he has developed the constituency on all fronts, his promise to bring Godavari waters to Kamareddy has remained a pipedream, which could go against him this time. Of the 1,96,516 voters in Kamareddy segment, Muslims account for over 30,000.

Though Shabbir has emerged as a “tall leader” in the YSR government, the Telangana region’s minority leader is also facing a serious threat from his Telugu Desam Party opponent Gampa Goverdhan. “Goverdhan has gained a lot of goodwill among the public in the last five years and it won’t be a surprise if he floors the minister in this prestigious boxing bout,” an analysts said.

It may be recalled that Shabbir was defeated by Goverdhan once — in the 1994 election. Though he won the 2004 election with 52,000-vote majority against BJP’s Uppunuthala Muralidhar Goud, Shabbir’s chances look bleak this time, say party sources.

He was first elected as an MLA from Kamareddy in 1989 and had lost to TDP candidate Yousuf Ali in the 1999 polls.