Andhra Pradesh: Kanna Lakshminarayana's new role in BJP disappoints many

VIJAYAWADA: All is not well in the state BJP ever since party Central leadership appo-inted former minister Kanna Lakshminarayana as the state party unit president, keeping aside a strong contender of the post, long-time BJP leader Somu Veerraju.

Analysts are of the opinion that the BJP in Andhra Pradesh is following the pattern in Assam where migrant leaders were given importance in the party.

In Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, who had defected to the BJP from Asom Gana Parishad, was made the Union minister and later, the Chief Minister of Assam, keeping aside all the party leaders who had a Sangh background.

BJP senior leader and MLC Somu Veerraju, who had expected the BJP Andhra Pradesh unit president post, has been repor-tedly sulking since Sun-day night. As Mr Veerraju was denied the top party post, his supporters and the party committee presidents in Rajahmundry and East Godavari had resigned their posts and sent a video message to the party leadership.

Though Mr Veerraju was appointed as the party’s Election Committee convener by the Central leadership, he remained incommunicado since Sunday. It is learnt that he is feeling deeply dejected for being denied the party’s coveted post. He had also switched off his mobile.

Interestingly, Mr Veerr-aju was instrumental in bringing Mr Lakshmina-rayana into the party-fold after the Congress faced a rout in the 2014 polls. It was Mr Veerraju who actively introduced Mr Lakshminarayana to nati-onal leaders of the BJP.

Mr Veerraju was among the BJP leaders who met Mr Lakshminarayana in April this year, when he wanted to join the YSRC and later got admitted to a hospital.

Mr Veerraju, along with former minister Pydikon-dala Manikyala Rao, met Mr Lakshminarayana and persuaded him not to leave the BJP in haste and said that the party Central leadership was planning to give him due importance in the party.

But Mr Veerraju faction expected that Mr Lakshm-inarayana will be given the Election Management Committee convener post and Mr Veerraju will be made the party state unit president. After the role reversal of sorts, Mr Veer-raju seemingly felt dejected.

“At one point of time, Mr Veerraju had proposed Mr Lakshminarayana’s name for the party state president post. And now, when Mr Lakshminarayana was made the AP party chief, strangely, Mr Veerraju seems disappointed. Definitely, the party central leadership has some strategy behind appointing Mr Lakshminarayana, after weighing in so many factors and taking them into consideration. Every disciplined party leader and worker should abide by the leadership’s decision,” the state party office-bearer told this newspaper