PNS|Guntur
Senior political leader and former BJP state president Kanna Lakshminarayana has joined the Telugu Desam party along with a large number of his followers at a programme held in the TDP state office at Mangalagiri.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu admitted Kanna Laskhminarayana and others by wrapping scarves amid thunderous applause by the hundreds of followers of Kanna on Thursday.
Along with Kanna Lakshminarayana, his followers including his son former Mayor Kanna Nagaraju, Talla Venkatesh Yadav, Kanna Phinindra, Turaga Nagabhusanam, S Ananda Babu, Adapa Shiva Nagendra, SM Nizamuddin, Badeti Sambashiva Rao, Paleti Madhava Rao, Pendyala Srinivasa Rao, Puli Venkatachalapati Rao, G Ramanjaneyulu, Yelpuri Venkateswara Rao and 39 others leaders joined the TDP. Earlier, Kanna Lakshminarayana came to the TDP state office in a huge rally.
Addressing the activists on the occasion, Chandrababu Naidu lauded Kanna Lakshminarayana stating he was a great statesman having decades of political experience.
“I have personally observed Kanna Lakshminarayana for several years. We tried very hard and made vigorous efforts to defeat him in Assembly elections in Pedakurapadu constituency but could not, which indicates how much popularity he has earned,” Naidu praised.
Naidu recalled that Kanna worked as Cabinet minister from 2004 to 2014, stating that he had no personal differences with Kanna despite their political rivalry. “People should understand why we have invited Kanna into the TDP. Power of positions is not important but the state interests are important,” Naidu added. Though the BJP is in power at the Centre, Kanna quit the BJP and joined the TDP and people should understand the reasons, he said stating Kanna also supported the Amaravati farmer’s agitation.
Coming down heavily against Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Naidu alleged that the State had suffered huge damage during the YSRCP regime.
“On the first day itself, the Praja Vedika was demolished by the YSRCP-led government. The people should understand how terrible a person Jagan Mohan Reddy is,” Naidu lashed out, stating that Praja Vedika was not constructed with his own property but it was constructed with public money. “All the institutions have crippled in the state and the government has failed on all fronts,” Naidu said.
Chandrababu Naidu said that once upon a time, political leaders used to be afraid of the media but the situation is vice versa now, accusing the government of blackmailing the media. YS Rajasekhar Reddy and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy conducted padayatra when he was the Chief Minister but never tried to obstruct them. “If I had thought of preventing their padayatra, they could not have conducted padayatras,” he reiterated. Naidu said that Jagan Reddy is preparing to go to midterm polls.
Speaking on the occasion, Kanna Laskhminarayana said that he joined the TDP along with a large number of his followers. “Once upon a time, I fought against Chandrababu Naidu but now I Joined the TDP to fight against the anarchic rule which prevailed in AP. I felt that a joint fight needed to check the atrocious regime of YSRCP,” Kanna said.
Kanna deplored that Jagan Reddy has put the state in Rs 9 lakh crore debts and RTC fares, power tariffs were hiked and tax levied on even garbage. Interestingly Kanna lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating the Prime Minister has made the entire world toward India.
