VISAKHAPATNAM: The TDP suffered another blow in Visakhapatnam district with party urban president and former MLA SA Rahman quitting the party protesting against party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s stand on executive capital and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Addressing media persons, Rahman welcomed Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s statement opposing the NRC. He said during its five-year tenure, the former TDP government could not meet people’s aspirations with regard to development.
He said Naidu was not making his stand clear on NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). When a Muslim youth leader from the party sought his permission to join the agitation against NRC and CAA, the TDP chief is not speaking on the issue.
Instead, he directed party leaders to launch a tirade against Jagan Mohan Reddy for taking a U-turn on the issue, he said, adding that what Jagan took was not a U-turn, but a right turn.
He said all MLAs, MLCs, former MLAs and party senior leaders met and supported the executive capital in Visakhapatnam against the TDP’s decision as it will help develop the region.
Besides, at the time of bifurcation of the State, they demanded the capital to be set up in Visakhapatnam. “However, we supported Amaravati capital as per party decision,” he said.
Rahman said after Lokesh took an active role, the party position slumped due to his ill-conceived vision.