VIJAYAWADA: Former minister Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao (Nani) on Saturday questioned the status of Nara Lokesh, TDP general secretary, to invite film actor Junior NTR into the party. “Who is he to invite Jr NTR into TDP? A person who cannot even get elected as a ward member, wants to invite Jr NTR into the party? Laughable,” he ridiculed.
Sharply reacting to Lokesh inviting Jr NTR into the TDP, Nani said in the first place, Jr NTR does not need any such invitation. If Jr NTR desires to enter politics, he can join the party any time, which was founded by his grandfather NT Rama Rao. “It is better for TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to step down and hand over TDP to Jr NTR. If there is a need for a change as underlined by Naidu and Lokesh, it is not in the State, but in the TDP,” he observed.
Nani even advised the TDP leadership to go for a referendum in the party to decide the true heir of the party, whether it is Lokesh or Jr NTR.
The YSRC leader described Naidu and his son as opportunists who want to cash in on the popularity of Jr NTR for their own political interests.
“Who has forgotten how badly Harikrishna, father of Jr NTR, was treated by Naidu in the TDP. Was it not Naidu, who depicted Harikrishna as a drunkard and denied him suitable post in the party?” Nani questioned.
He further, said even Jr NTR was used and thrown away by Naidu when he was in opposition before 2014. Jr NTR had campaigned for the TDP in the 2009 elections. He met with an accident during the election campaign and sustained injuries. When Naidu was sworn in as the Chief Minister, Jr NTR was relegated to gallery with no proper treatment, Nani pointed out.
YSRC leader and Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi described Lokesh welcoming Jr NTR into the party fold as a biggest joke.
“Is there a need for it. If Jr NTR wants to join the TDP, who can stop him. Fact is that the TDP is founded by NT Rama Rao, grandfather of Jr NTR. Let us not forget it,” the MLA remarked.