Party HQs resemble corporate offices

BY J.R.PRASAD
Hyderabad, Nov. 24: There was a time when the headquarters of political parties were Spartan affairs where the only decorations were flags, banners and posters. This has changed now and posh conference halls, digital libraries, gyms, eateries and even luxurious bedrooms have become the hallmark of party offices. In fact, it has become difficult to distinguish central offices of political parties from major corporate houses.
The NTR Bhavan, central office of the Telugu Desam, and the Telangana Bhavan of the Telangana Rastra Samiti in Banjara Hills are classic examples of this. With the exception of the Congress, central offices of all other parties are vying with each other to have a slick look. The TD office consists of two centrally air-conditioned buildings. One is a four storied swanky building with marble floor, where the main activities of the party take place. The party chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, has an exclusive chamber in the second floor of this building with a digital TV and costly furniture.
In the second building, there is a digital library with 6,957 books in English, Hindi, Urdu and Telugu. Over 757 government orders have been scanned and stored in electronic format here. This library has also got a computer department, where skilled technicians record the news bulletins of various Telugu news channels daily and store them in CDs for future reference. There is also a hitech gym in the same building, where party leaders do aerobics everyday. NTR Bhavan has also got a stylish eatery for guests who have missed their breakfast. "We set up the digital library to update ourselves on the latest happenings," said the senior TD leader, Mr N. Janardhan Reddy. "The gym helps us keep fit."
The Telangana Bhavan in Banjara Hills is also a magnificent structure. All the 64 rooms in that office have posh interior decoration. Party leaders who come from far get classy accommodation and workers get mouthwatering Telangana delicacies. Offices of the BJP, and the newly launched Nava Telangana Party as well as the Praja Rajyam are also swanky affairs. In comparison, the Congress office seems quite modest — almost Gandhian.