Amaravati: In an exclusive chat with The Hans India, chief secretary LV Subramanyam said that Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu does not enjoy any power as regular chief minister and cannot conduct the review meetings as he wants to do. He also said Mr. Naidu tenure would end on May 23 as soon as the result would be announced by the Election Commission.

Mr. Subramanyam said technically Naidu is not the caretaker chief minister, but the fact is he is Chief Minister without powers. He will have to lay down the office after the election result (May 23) if he does not get re-elected. Stating constitutional position, the chief secretary said that if Telugu Desam Party wins then Naidu will take oath soon after May 23 or else YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will take oath as CM depending on the auspicious day which could be May 24 or any other day. Whosoever becomes the CM, the state administration then will have to cooperate with them, he said. 

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While reacting to the TDP leader’s claims that their government has time till June 7, he further said, "There is no provision in the Constitution of India to allow anyone as the Chief Minister after the announcement of election results. The only provision in the Constitution of India is the tenure of any elected Assembly is five years. That does not mean that the CM of the day can continue even after results have been announced." 

When questioned about what would happen if there was an emergency situation and, in such cases, too the CM should be idle, the CS explained that on emergency grounds CM can guide the administration within the rules and regulations of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) but that too should be through a proper channel. The proper channel, in this case, is the chief secretary, he said. 

He further said that Naidu had never called him for any review meetings so far from April 6 to date. He said he had facilitated a review of Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi with all the districts collectors and other election staff on security with regard to strong rooms, counting day preparations and that was very much within the rules and procedure. 

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