No pics of sports minister, Dy CM in Andhra ad!

A fresh controversy has erupted over the Andhra Cricket Association’s (ACA) full-page newspaper advertisements congratulating World Cup-winning cricketer Nallapureddy Sree Charani, on the occasion of her return to her native state.

The ACA’s advertisements appeared on the front pages of leading dailies Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy on Friday, showcasing chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and state IT minister Nara Lokesh congratulating Sree Charani on her World Cup triumph.

However, the advertisement omitted the pictures of state’s sports minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan.

Interestingly, the sports minister hails from Kadapa district, to which Sree Charani also belongs.

The ACA’s move to omit the sports minister’s photo while including the IT Minister’s has drawn sharp criticism, as Lokesh has nothing to do with the sports in general and cricket in particular.

According to an analyst, the advertisement is a clear indication to Lokesh’s growing influence within the ACA.

“The appointments of ACA president Kesineni and secretary Sana Satish may have prompted the association’s overt display of loyalty,” he observed.

Interestingly, in recent months, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan’s photo has routinely appeared in government ads, even when unrelated to his portfolio.

But the ACA’s latest publication excluded both the Sports Minister and Pawan Kalyan, fuelling talk that the film star-turned-politician is being systematically sidelined within the ruling alliance.

“Leaving out Pawan Kalyan’s photo is telling — Sree charani’s felicitation has become symbolic of the political undercurrents,” a political observer remarked.

The cricketer was earlier given a grand welcome at Gannavaram Airport by ACA President Kesineni Chinni, Secretary Sana Satish, and Ministers Anita, Savitha, and Sandhyarani, along with SHAP Chairman Animini Ravinayudu.

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