Kanna jolts Congress, joins BJP
HYDERABAD: In a major development, senior Congress leader and six-time MLA Kanna Lakshminarayana joined the BJP in the presence of party president Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Interestingly, Kanna's defection came on the same day when Rahul Gandhi discussed organisational affairs with PCC chief Raghuveera Reddy in Delhi.
The Kapu leader from Pedakurapadu, who did not leave the Congress even during its worst days, has ditched the party signalling that the BJP is preparing for bigger things in Andhra Pradesh despite its alliance with the TDP.
According to sources, Kanna wanted to join the TDP but his long-time rival and MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao joined the yellow party just before polls. Hence Kanna's decision to join the saffron brigade.
Speaking to mediapersons, Lakshminarayana said the policies of prime minister Narendra Modi attracted him. He said he met Amith Shah through party general secretary Ram Madhav. He hinted that some more Congress leaders might join the BJP in the coming days.
When asked if he joined the BJP expecting some political mileage, he retorted: 'In that case, I would have joined it before election.'
He said he would take BJP's membership in the presence of BJP state President K Haribabu.
The Congress in the Coastal AP received a big blow with the quitting by Kanna Lakshminarayana. He won four times from Pedakurapadu and once from Guntur (West), both in Guntur district. He held several key portpolios and played a vital role in regional politics.
Moreover, he belongs to the Kapu community which is dominant in coastal Andhra. His joining the BJP will boost the party's prospects in Seemadhra as he is a very powerfull leader.
Following the dismal performance of Congress in the 2014 general election, Congress leaders are looking towards the BJP for their political survival.
News Posted: 29 October, 2014
|
