TD wicket falls to Jagan, Jr NTR pal defects

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In the first casualty following the bypoll debacle for N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Telugu Desam’s two-term MLA Kodali Sri Venkateshwara Rao, alias Kodali Nani, a close friend of actor Jr NTR and his father N. Ha-rikrishna, defected to the YSR Congress on Monday.

Mr Nani, a key TD leader in Krishna district, met YSR Congress chairperson Y.S. Vijayalakshmi and later her son and party chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is in Chanchalguda jail. He skipped the TD’s general body meeting chaired by Mr Naidu at the party headquarters. Mr Nani was immediately suspended from the Telugu Desam for anti-party activities.

Nani’s exit triggers off exodus fears
Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu took time off from the general body meeting on Monday to discuss Mr Nani’s quitting the party with Krishna district leaders at the party office. Mr Naidu had tried his best to convince Mr Nani not to defect. TD leaders are now worried that there may be an exodus from the party. “I quit the TD. I will shortly announce when I will be joining the YSR Congress. I will react to all the charges levelled against me by the TD and also to Jr NTR’s comments,” he said after meeting Ms Vijayalakshmi.
Meanwhile, TD leaders from Krishna district allege that Mr Nani was lured by an offer of Rs 30 crore besides a ‘package’.