Naidu Shocks Home Minister Anitha, Sacks Her PA Jagadish

Despite repeated warnings from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, some ministers continue to face allegations of corruption. One such minister is Vangalapudi Anitha, the state’s Home Minister, who recently found herself under pressure to remove her personal assistant, Sandhu Jagadish, after multiple complaints of corruption and misconduct.

Jagadish, who had been working with Anitha for over a decade, became the center of controversy due to his involvement in illegal activities. He was accused of collecting money for transfers, postings, and recommendations. There were also claims that he was involved in making settlements and exerting undue influence on various officials. His alleged misdeeds reportedly included operating gambling dens in S. Rayavaram Mandal and Palvinpet of Payakaraopeta Mandal. Additionally, Jagadish was accused of pressuring excise officials to favor certain alcohol license holders and even selling Tirumala darshan recommendation letters from Anitha’s office to a private hotel in Tirupati.

For a long time, Jagadish’s rude behavior and corrupt practices were tolerated, with many TDP leaders and others expressing dissatisfaction. Despite numerous complaints from within her own party, Anitha reportedly refused to take action against him, which led to speculation that she was protecting him. This gave Jagadish a sense of power, and he acted as though he were second-in-command, disregarding even senior party leaders.

The situation came to a head when TDP leaders from S. Rayavaram Mandal, who had been subjected to Jagadish’s intimidation and corruption, decided to bring their grievances to Anitha. However, Jagadish allegedly threatened them over the phone. Unable to take any further action on their own, the leaders turned to Naidu, providing evidence of Jagadish’s misconduct.

Naidu reprimanded Anitha and made it clear that action needed to be taken. Under immense pressure, Anitha finally removed Jagadish from his position, much to the relief of the party leaders and others who had been affected by his actions. Jagadish’s removal marks the end of his alleged illegal activities under Anitha’s protection.