Kanna Lakshminarayana joins TDP, Chandrababu calls him a unique leader

AMARAVATI: Veteran politician and former BJP Andhra Pradesh unit chief Kanna Lakshminarayana on Thursday formally joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the presence of its National President Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

As announced earlier in the day, Kanna Lakshminarayana went to the TDP office in Mangalagiri in a large procession and joined the party at the pre-decided muhurtham of 2:48 pm. A beaming Chandrababu Naidu welcomed Lakshminarayana into his party’s fold by felicitating the latter with the TDP’s yellow-coloured scarf. A large number of the Guntur politician’s supporters followed in the footsteps of their leader and embraced the TDP.

Kanna Lakshminarayana tendered his resignation to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 16. He was feeling suffocated in the national party ever since he was replaced as the State unit president by Somu Veerraju, hailing from the same Kapu community.

Welcoming Kanna into the TDP, Chandrababu Naidu termed Lakshminarayana’s entry as a positive development for his party. Stating that he was wholeheartedly welcoming the Guntur leader into the TDP, he hailed Lakshminarayana as a leader with a unique personality.

“Lakshminarayana came up the ranks having entered politics during his student days. He was elected as an MLA for five consecutive times. He rendered his services as a minister (in the undivided Andhra Pradesh) between 2004 and 2014. He worked hard in politics with a great sense of commitment. The interests of the State take precedence over coveted positions which are never permanent. With renewed vigour, the TDP should strive to dethrone the YSRCP Government and revive the era of progress in the state,” Chandrababu Naidu commented.

Earlier in the day, supporters of Kanna Lakshminarayana painted Guntur yellow by erecting flex banners and posters all over the city. They also decorated the entire stretch of Guntur-Mangalagiri road with TDP posters and flags.