VIJAYAWADA: Former State BJP chief Kanna Lakshminarayana is all set to join the TDP in the presence of party chief N Chandrababu Naidu on February 23. Along with his followers, Kanna will go in a procession to the TDP office at Mangalagiri on Thursday and formally join the party. A good number of his followers will also join the TDP along with him.
Kanna, who had a bitter rivalry with Naidu during his stint in the Congress, has reportedly opted for the TDP after weighing options to join either the Jana Sena Party or the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). He had earlier held consultations with leaders from JSP as well as BRS.
According to sources, Kanna has sought Guntur West Assembly seat to contest the next elections and the TDP leadership is said to have given nod for it. The TDP is of the view that Kanna’s entry will help consolidate the Kapu vote bank to an extent.
Announcing his decision to join the TDP on Tuesday, the former minister lashed out at the YSRC for the attack on TDP office in Gannavaram. Kanna, who was the first among those from the BJP to oppose the three-capital proposal of the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government, said the people of the State have the responsibility to ensure that Amaravati remains as the only capital of AP.
Accusing the YSRC government of unleashing anarchy in the State, Kanna said the police were playing the role of mute spectators. The police should protect the lives of the people or else they would face a revolt, he warned.
Commenting on Kanna joining the TDP, Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath said the senior leader would become a big ‘zero’ in the party. Amarnath recalled that Kanna made several allegations against the TDP, including life threat from Naidu, during his stint in the Congress.