Allow me to review progress of projects: Naidu urges EC

With the chief secretary (CS) of the state taking the administration into his hands and reportedly calling the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu a "CM without powers", the ongoing standoff between the CS and the state government has reached a crescendo.

Peeved by the developments in the past few days, Naidu has shot a nine-page letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora to let him do his job.

"The Chief Electoral Officer of the state stops the Intelligence ADG from reporting to me, the chief secretary conducts meetings with the authorities on counting day arrangements without my knowledge. I have not seen a situation like this in my 40 years of political life," Naidu said.

He said that the Election Commission, which has taken decisions and implemented them within hours when the complaints are from the YSRCP, has not considered the pleas of TDP, he said.

He said he will have to review the progress of projects as well as the severe heat wave in the state despite the restrictions imposed by CEO Gopalakrishna Dwivedi and Chief Secretary L V Subrahmanyam.

Meanwhile, the ruling TDP has objected to the comments made by the chief secretary who was appointed by the Election Commission.

"This CM (Naidu) is a CM without any powers. He will have to leave after May 23 and a new one will come. If YSRCP wins, Jagan will become CM; if TDP wins, Naidu will become CM. Either way, the administration will support the winner," the CS reportedly said in an interview with the media here at the secretariat.

"The chief secretary is supposed to help the CM discharge his duties. The BJP government at the Centre is trying to take the administration of Andhra Pradesh into its hand through the CS. The chief minister is not temporary and he can review projects but will not take any policy decisions as per the EC norms," Panchumarti Anuradha, a TDP spokesperson, said.

However, the chief secretary said the Chief Electoral Officer sought his help as the district collectors are not cooperating with him.

"What is wrong if I accompany him at the review meeting on polling," CS asked. He made it clear that till a new government is formed he will be the "proper channel" through which things have to move in the state.