NEW ROLE
A Sleuth Dons a New Hat
A former CBI top cop could be inching closer to a political debut
by M . S . Shanker from Hyderabad
V
. V . Lakshminarayana ’ s headline-grabbing moment came a few years ago . As the then CBI joint director , Lakshminarayana had arrested Y . S . Jaganmohan Reddy , now leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly , over several corruption cases . That was during the UPA ’ s second term . Much water has flown down the Godavari and the former CBI sleuth now seems poised to change sides and dive headlong into politics .
The news of bureaucrats — some with squeaky clean images — entering politics invariably piques much curiosity , more so in Andhra where another former IAS officer Jayaprakash Narayan had floated the Lok Satta Party to fight corruption in 2009 , but failed to make a mark against the TDP . And like Narayan , Lakshminarayana too has left a secure job to try his hand at politics , ahead of the general elections due next year . Lakshminarayana , known for his focus on political corruption , probity in public life , accountability and transparency in administration , has handled several high-profile cases , inc luding the Obulapuram mining case in which Bellary ’ s Reddy brothers ( including Gali Janardhan Reddy ) were among the accused , the Satyam Computers case and the Emmar Projects case .
Lakshminarayana , however , has kept his cards close to his chest so far , insisting he is yet to make up his mind . “ Does one need to join political ranks to serve the people ?” he asks . “ Whatever the media has to speculate , they do have a right to do so . However , I can think of joining political ranks only if I fail to convince the government to redress the problems of farmers and growing unemployment .”
After taking voluntary retirement , he adopted a village in Maharashtra and seven in Andhra as part of his rural development mission . “ I am travelling around to interact with the farmers , understand the issues they confront on a day-to-day basis and find solutions ,” he says . “ I shall convey what I gather from the farming community to the concerned authorities and governments at the Centre and the state , hoping they would act . I am a firm believer in Gandhian principles and my passion follows that of the great leader , who always advocated ‘ gram swaraj ’ as he believed India lives in her villages .”
Speculation is rife over the possibility of Lakshminarayana joining either the BJP or the TDP . CM N . Chandrababu Naidu sees an opportunity to entice him into his party fold to checkmate the YSR Congress and its leader Jaganmohan , seen by detractors as a symbol of ill-gotten wealth . Of late ,
Lakshminarayana can either form his own party , or join the BJP , the Lok Satta , the Jana Sena or even AAP .
OUTREACH V . V . Lakshminarayana ( centre ) in an Andhra village however , the TDP has itself been mired in controversy over allegations of graft , earning the “ champion of corruption ” tag in popular discourse in Andhra Pradesh . Moreover , TDP leaders have often pointed out that Lakshminarayana has been associated with the Sangh Parivar since his college days . “ We have to wait and see whether he is part of Modi ’ s B-team and has a hidden agenda ,” a senior TDP leader from Guntur district tells Outlook . “ We need more time to figure him out .”
Lakshminarayana can either form his own party , or join the BJP , the Lok Satta , filmstar Pawan Kalyan ’ s Jana Sena or even AAP . “ I shall take a call only after completing my mission . I have set to cover the seven adopted villages first and later the rest . I shall also explore all possibilities — joining one of the existing parties , based on their ideological commitment , or launching a new one ,” he says .
According to Brigadier ( retd ) G . B . Reddi , the majority of political leaders are “ misfits , woefully unsuited to hold high political posts ”, while academician-turned-politician Prof P . L . Visweshwar Rao says , “ When we find 35-40 per cent of people with criminal records entering Parliament or the ass emblies , it becomes imperative for educated people such as bureaucrats , academicians and other professionals to enter the political arena , which , seen as the last resort of scoundrels , had been a taboo until recently .”
Lakshminarayana , however , insists he has no grouse against the current system or politics in general . “ I am concerned about why the established systems are not working , where the faultlines are , and how they could be best addressed and redressed ,” he says . O
14 OUTLOOK 30 July 2018