He assiduously cultivated local politicians, especially those with muscle power at their command, who could use strong arm to help him deal with business problems.
Soon, he moved a little up the ladder and cultivated Ramakrishna Hegde, plying the Janata Party leader with money and muscle power at a time when that party was badly in need of both funds and muscle power, because Indira Gandhi was trying to destroy the Janata politicians.
It is said that Adikesavulu had supplied the Congress party with much of the fodder to create the scandal and uproar, because the demands of Hegde and others had become excessive, and also because he saw that the Congress party was on the upswing in Karnataka and anyway, it was always very strong in his native Andhra Pradesh, where his main businesses were located (in Chittoor district).
At this time, both of them cultivated the JDS in Karnataka and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh.
Adikesavulu's engagement with the TDP became a serious relationship, both of money and manpower, and once again, country liquor (arrack) played a major role.
Once again, there was scandal, this time in Andhra Pradesh, after Chandrababu Naidu auctioned very lucrative contracts to Adikesavulu at a throwaway price.
For instance, both of them were appointed trustees of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, the governing body of India's richest and most-visited temple.