VIJAYAWADA: Internal rift in the Andhra Pradesh unit of BJP came to the fore once again with senior leader and former party State president Kanna Lakshminarayana resigning from the primary membership of the party on Thursday.
Though Kanna cited ‘personal reasons and compulsions’ as the reason for quitting the party after nine years, the leader blamed the present BJP chief Somu Veerraju for his decision while speaking to TNIE. Accusing Veerraju of corruption, Kanna alleged, “He neither works in the interest of the party nor for the cadre, but only for his personal gains. He is more focussed on blackmailing party workers and collecting money.”
“I don’t have any problem with the party’s central leadership. I am quitting the party only because of the attitude of Veerraju,’’ Kanna said when asked about the reason for quitting the party. However, he asserted that he continued to have respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but faulted the State leadership for his decision.
Differences between Kanna Lakshminarayana and Somu Veerraju have been brewing over several months. In fact, the rift between the duo intensified ever since Veerraju took over the reins of the party.Asked if the issue was brought to the notice of the party high command, Kanna said he had informed the seniors several months ago.
“I recently brought the matter to the notice of national joint general secretary Shiv Prakash as well,’’ he said, adding that the latter had sought one week time to look into the matter.He further went on to say that no action against Veerraju forced him to tender his resignation.
Asked about his future plans and contesting elections in the wake of his recent meetings with Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader Nadendla Manohar while getting in touch with the TDP leadership, Kanna said that he would take a call in a couple of days after holding discussions with his followers.
Meanwhile, speculations are rife that the senior leader is likely to join TDP.Kanna, who is considered as a betenoire of Chandrababu Naidu, clarified that he never had any personal grudge against the TDP chief.
Kanna was also critical of Veerraju for not coordinating with the JSP leadership in order to take forward the alliance between both the parties. Speaking on his role in unifying the Kapu community, Kanna said, “I am not a leader belonging to one particular community, but a politician.’’
Kanna took potshots at the party MP GVL Narasimha Rao for taking up the issue of naming a district after Kapu leader Vangaveeti Ranga on his own. “I have been demanding it for a long time. Some leaders want to rise overnight and come up with such demands,’’ he said.
The BJP, however, refuted the allegations of Kanna Lakshminarayana. “All the decisions taken by Veerraju have the approval of the party central leadership,’’ GVL Narasimha Rao said, while hitting back at the senior leader.
He went on to say that the adverse comments made by Kanna were politically motivated and intended to hurt the BJP. “All organisational decisions or changes in the Andhra unit of BJP have been made after discussion with the national leadership of the party,” GVL said.
“Leaders and Karyakartas have full faith in the leadership of Veerraju and are confident of the BJP emerging as a strong political force in the State under his leadership,’’ a party statement added.
It may be recalled that Kanna Lakshminarayana was made party chief just 10 months ahead of 2019 elections.
The differences among the party leaders grew with Kanna opposing the three capital proposal of the YSRC government, which came to power in the elections, and sticking to Amaravati as sole capital stand.
After he was replaced by Veerraju, Kanna came out openly for the first time after its poll partner Pawan Kalyan met Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu and vouched for unification of forces to dethrone the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Kanna was of the view that Veerraju could not coordinate well with the poll partner and failed to even draw a roadmap sought by the Jana Sena Party chief to fight against the YSRC.