Archive · 9 Aug 2026
AP Neta Natter: Coffee with Chandrababu, Kalyan's Backlash, Airport Gaffe
News from southern India's Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was full of political drama.
The Chief Minister, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, made contractors a funny promise: finish the new capital's building work on time, and he will treat them to coffee.
But he also warned them that being late would be a very bad idea.
Another leader, Pawan Kalyan, said mean words used against the Prime Minister made him feel like crying.
Many people on the internet were upset and shared old videos where he had criticized the very same leader.
At an airport opening, a minister accidentally mixed up the titles of two leaders, not once but twice, and people shared the video.
A famous badminton player, P.V. Sindhu, helped lay the foundation of a new sports centre, and even people who once protested the project came to cheer.
In Telangana, two political groups are angry with each other: one says the other tried to stop the rain using temple rituals.
The other group says that is nonsense, and the first group plans a big prayer for rain at a dam.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu told Amaravati contractors he would invite them for coffee if they completed quality work on time, warning that delays would not be tolerated and would turn bitter.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan drew social media backlash after saying abusive language used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Jantar Mantar moved him to tears, as old videos of his criticism of Modi resurfaced.
Badminton star P.V. Sindhu and education minister Nara Lokesh attended the Centre for Sports Excellence foundation ceremony in Vizag on August 5, where local TD leader Ommi Sanyasirao, once a vocal protester, welcomed Lokesh with banners and flowers.
Union minister Bhupatiraju Srinivas Varma twice called Pawan Kalyan Chief Minister and N. Chandrababu Naidu Deputy Chief Minister during the Bhogapuram International Airport inauguration, and clips of the gaffe went viral on social media.
Telangana's ruling Congress accused a BRS leader of performing rituals at temples in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to trigger drought and weaken the Revanth Reddy government, while BRS dismissed the claims as outrageous and sent legal notices.
- Who
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Union minister Bhupatiraju Srinivas Varma, education minister Nara Lokesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, badminton player P.V. Sindhu, and Telangana's Congress and BRS parties.
- What
- A roundup of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana political news: Naidu's coffee offer to on-time Amaravati contractors, social media backlash against Pawan Kalyan, a sports facility foundation ceremony in Vizag, a viral title mix-up at the Bhogapuram International Airport inauguration, and a Congress-BRS dispute over alleged drought rituals.
- When
- Early August 2026; the Centre for Sports Excellence foundation ceremony was held on August 5, with a Varuna Yagam announced for later that week.
- Where
- Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, Bhogapuram), Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, and Telangana (Nagarjunasagar dam); alleged rituals were tied to temples in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
- Why
- Leaders sought to accelerate infrastructure work, faced public scrutiny over shifting political stances, and parties clashed for political advantage amid monsoon drought worries and protest controversies.
Critics and Opposition
Ruling Leaders and Defenders
Pawan Kalyan's remarks on Modi
Critics and Opposition
Critics say Kalyan's tears over abusive language against PM Modi contradict his past speeches criticizing Modi over special category status, and question his silence on the heavy-handed handling of youths during NEET protests.
Ruling Leaders and Defenders
Supporters see Kalyan's reaction as a sincere, emotional response to hearing abusive language used against the Prime Minister at Jantar Mantar.
Naidu's coffee offer to contractors
Critics and Opposition
Observers note the invitation masked a stern warning: Naidu said delays would not be tolerated and could turn bitter for those at the receiving end.
Ruling Leaders and Defenders
It can be read as a positive incentive, where contractors who deliver quality work on time are rewarded with hospitality, especially since funds are not a constraint.
Congress-BRS drought ritual allegations
Critics and Opposition
Congress claims a BRS leader performed rituals at temples in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to trigger drought during the El Nino-hot monsoon and politically weaken the Revanth Reddy government, insisting it has evidence.
Ruling Leaders and Defenders
BRS dismisses the allegations as outrageous and has fired back with legal notices, rejecting the charges as baseless.
- Chief Minister (Andhra Pradesh)
- N. Chandrababu Naidu
- Deputy Chief Minister (Andhra Pradesh)
- Pawan Kalyan
- Inaugurated infrastructure
- Bhogapuram International Airport
- Sports facility
- Centre for Sports Excellence, Visakhapatnam (foundation ceremony on August 5)
- Naidu's incentive to contractors
- Coffee invitation for on-time, quality work
- Telangana parties in ritual dispute
- Congress vs BRS
- Proposed counter-ritual
- Varuna Yagam at Nagarjunasagar dam
- Prime Minister at airport event
- Narendra Modi