A self-styled journalist, who is reportedly seen frequently at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, has triggered discussion in media circles in Vijayawada.
According to reports circulating on social media, the individual, who claims to be a seasoned journalist, is said to have close links with a popular Sakshi TV anchor and senior journalist.
Sources allege that there are suspicions he has been passing information about developments in the CMO to the Sakshi TV anchor on a regular basis.
“Everybody knows how close this journalist was to the Sakshi management in the past. Yet, he continues to move around the CMO and interact with officials even now,” a source said.
What has raised eyebrows is the apparent lack of scrutiny over his credentials and the manner in which he reportedly gains access to the offices of senior IAS officers in the CMO. This is particularly notable because even accredited journalists, including those perceived to be sympathetic to the TDP, are generally required to undergo security checks and obtain multiple permissions before entering sensitive areas of the Secretariat.
The individual is also reportedly projecting himself as a supporter of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and claiming to belong to the Kamma community.
Interestingly, during the previous YSRCP government, the same journalist was allegedly seen presenting himself as a supporter of that party and moving closely with several YSRCP MLAs.
The allegations suggest that after the change of government, he began portraying himself as a Telugu Desam Party supporter and started appearing regularly in government circles.
It is further alleged that during the tenure of the Congress government led by the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, he had offered political advice aimed at countering the TDP while presenting himself as a supporter of YSR.
The same individual is now accused of projecting himself as a Chandrababu loyalist while maintaining access to the CMO. There are also allegations that he has close relations with one or two CMO officials whom critics perceive as being sympathetic to the YSRCP.
Some journalists supportive of the TDP have reportedly described him as a “YSRCP mole” operating within government circles.
There are also claims that he has been projecting himself as close to Minister Nara Lokesh and that another individual described as a key figure in the CMO is allegedly close to him.
However, these allegations remain unverified, and there has been no official response so far from the individual concerned or the CMO.
