Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao being welcomed with a turban as he reaches Adilabad to set the foundation stone for a 600 MW thermal power station.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is imparting moral lessons to ministers and MLAs, especially newcomers, at the drop of a hat.

The focus is more against corruption and ensuring a good name for the TRS government and party, support for government schemes among others, if some first time legislators are to be believed.

In fact, a call from the CM after the former Deputy CM Rajaiah episode rattles ministers, party legislators and leaders.

“When I met the CM for some work, he spoke to me at length and told me not to indulge in corruption and taint the government. He stressed on it since I am a first time MLA and have a long political innings. I should not do anything that will earn me a bad reputation,” a TRS legislator from Nalgonda district told this newspaper.

Asked whether he had raised the issue of expenses involved in maintaining cadre for the party, the legislator replied in the affirmative. “Sir said if I need any help, he will do it, but asked me not to indulge in any corrupt practices.”

Of late, the CM’s crusade against political corruption, tips for success in life to fellow legislators, tongue lashing to wrongdoers has become a hot topic in TRS circles. There are talks that the CM has kept a watch on ministers, legislators and party leaders in every district and he gets regular reports on their actions through his confidants and intelligence network.

“Many leaders believe they are watched by ‘Anna’. We are careful about uttering or doing anything that may earn his wrath. The problem is party workers pester us with favours. Not all leaders are well off. CM snubs people if he gets irritated by wrongdoers, but he has to come to our rescue,” another TRS MLA said.

Sacking of former Deputy Chief Minister T. Rajaiah from the cabinet for alleged neglect of swine flu and unspecified wrong doings (which he denied) shocked ministers and legislators and they are on high alert.

The CM has also become touchy about those levelling baseless allegation of corruption against him, ministers and legislators. He gave the green signal to Energy Minister, Jagdiswar Reddy to file a defamation suit against Congress leader Ponnam Prabhakar.

In another instance, a minister whose three engineering colleges were blacklisted was silent and did not dare approach the CM to get it cleared fearing a dressing down.

According to party circles, a couple of legislators from Ranga Reddy, Mahabubnagar and Nizamabad earned the wrath of CM. There is talk that a MLA from Ranga Reddy district got a thorough dressing down for demanding a huge amount of money from an industrialist. The MLA begged to be pardoned, a TRS leader said.