Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, K Chandrashekar Rao and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the wedding
Telangana assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, five days after he attended the wedding of his granddaughter. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy were guests at the wedding and were seen sitting close to the assembly Speaker during the celebrations. None of them wore masks.
In visuals, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister is seen sitting in the middle of a sofa, flanked by K Chandrashekar Rao and the assembly Speaker.
Several VIPs and politicians who attended the wedding and met with the host have gone for COVID-19 testing.
The presence of the two Chief Ministers at the wedding as guests also marked the first face-to-face meeting between them after an apparent fallout and sharp exchanges that indicated souring of ties.
The two had exchanged barbs over sharing of river water. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's sister has also started a political party in Telangana and has criticised KCR. However, Jagan Mohan Reddy has distanced himself from his sister's political foray.
COVID-19 safety rules still recommend wearing mask, although lockdown and other strict measures have been eased in all the states depending on the area-specific severity of the COVID-19 situation. The centre has from time to time reminded people - even if double vaccinated - against lowering their guard since the pandemic is still very much around.
At the height of the pandemic, the number of wedding guests was restricted to a few family members.