Former Rajampeta Lok Sabha member and senior Congress leader Annayyagari Sai Pratap today joined the Telugu Desam party in the presence of chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. The CM invited him into the party by offering yellow Kanduva to Rayalaseema’s influential Balija (Kapu) leader.
Sai Pratap, a protege of YS Rajasekhar Reddy, lost godfather in politics with the death of the latter. Jaganmohan Reddy, son of YSR, did not favor him much largely because of generational gap. So, Sai Pratap, who became inactive after 2014 defeat, has no option but to join the ruling party at this juncture. He was minister of state for steel during UPA regime.
Talking about his switch over to the TDP, the former Congress veteran said he chose TDP as destination in the interest of region and the state. ” Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is working hard to develop the state. I have decided to associate with him and work for the state,” he said.
Sai Pratap also said it was the time for all sections of people worked to strengthen the hands of chief minister.
He announced his support to Naidu’s ‘Kapu policy’ and expressed hope that Kapu would get justice under Naidu’s leadership.
He assured the he would work in concert with other party leaders in Kadapa district to make TDP stronger by 2019. He expressed hope that Rayalaseema would get its due in TDP government led by chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. Regarding Congress, he said the party had no future in Andhra Pradesh.
The party did great injustice to the state by not incorporating the special status to the state in AP reorganization act,2014.
