Congress suffers setback with Nehru, son join TDP

VIJAYAWADA: Congress which is showing signs of revival after its leader KVP Ramachandra Rao moved a private member bill in Rajya Sabha recently seeking special category status for AP, the party suffered yet another setback with its senior leader and PCC vice-president Devineni Rajaskehar alias Nehru and his son Avinash joining the Telugu Desam Party.

On Tuesday morning, both father and son, called on the chief minister and made their intent of joining the TDP known to the TDP chief. In a swift action, AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh and PCC chief Raghuveera Reddy ordered expulsion of the two leaders who have crossed the Rubicon and also Nehru’s supporter and DCC president Kadiala Butchibabu.

In fact, for the last two months, the TDP leaders were trying to rope in Devineni Nehru and his son with a view to further consolidate the Kamma vote-bank in the district. TDP state president Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao played a crucial role in making Nehru switch loyalty. Nehru’s follower and Krishna District Congress president K Butchi Babu is also showing symptoms of yellow fever now. For Devineni Nehru, it is something like the act of a prodigal son since he was with late senior NTR when the latter founded the party 1983. He was technical education minister in his cabinet and after his death, he chose to be on the side of NTR’s widow Lakshmi Paravathi. After meeting Naidu, Nehru said: “I want to strengthen the hands of Naidu who is working very hard to build the state brick by brick. Other than working shoulder to shoulder with Naidu, I have no other interests,” he said.