VIJAYAWADA: The widening rift between Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) and Tiruvuru MLA Kolikapudi Srinivas drew the ire of Chief Minister and TDP supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu.
It was learnt that Naidu, who is in UAE on a three-day visit, expressed severe displeasure over the episode involving both the leaders from NTR district.
Naidu reportedly spoke to TDP State President Palla Srinivasa Rao over phone from the UAC and took serious exception over some of the leaders making open remarks and making controversial statements using social media platforms.
Sources said that when Palla informed Naidu that he would speak to both the leaders, Naidu was said to have felt that there is no such need and he will take up the issue after returning from UAE. Observing that some of the leaders are behaving irresponsibly, Naidu is learnt to have made it clear that violation of discipline will not be tolerated at any cost.
In a social media post on Thursday, Kolikapudi mentioned that Sivanath asked him five crore for getting the party ticket to contest in the 2024 elections.
Posting the details of the money transactions from his bank account, Kolikaudi said that he had transferred Rs 60 lakh in three installments.” Let us talk about the Rs 50 lakh taken away by Sivanath’s PA Mohan and the Rs 3.5 crore given by my friends in Gollapudi tomorrow (Friday). Truth should triumph. The truth only should triumph.”
Responding to the charges made by the MLA, Vijayawada MP Sivanath maintained that he has no need to take money.
