The appointment of senior leader and former minister Kanna Lakshminarayana as the president of Andhra Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday kicked up a lot of storm in the party.
Several BJP leaders across the state are fretting and fuming over the selection of Kanna as the state BJP chief, ignoring a die-hard loyalist like Somu Veerraju.
Though the party has appointed Veerraju as the chairman of state BJP election committee, which is also a very key post, he is also said to be terribly unhappy with the high command giving preference to Kanna over him.
He switched off his phone and remained inaccessible to the party top leaders, say sources.
In the meantime, several BJP leaders at the district level threatened to quit the party if the high command does not cancel Kanna’s appointment and make Veerraju as party chief in AP.
Party’s East Godavari district unit president Malakondaiah said the entire party unit in the district unit would resign if Veerraju is not made the state BJP chief within 24 hours.
“How can the party ignore the services of those who have been the pillars right from the beginning and fighting against the Telugu Desam Party government? Kanna does not have any Sangh background and has no faith in the party’s core philosophy.
He came into the BJP only a couple of years ago and very recently, he almost defected to the YSR Congress party for his political gains. How can he be made the party president?” Malakondaiah asked.
The disgruntled party leaders are meeting in Vijayawada later in the day and would take a decision on resigning from the party if Veerraju is not appointed party chief.
