Brahmini to Lead TD if Lokesh Faces Arrest, Says Ayyanna

VISHAKHAPATNAM: Wife Brahmini will lead the Telugu Desam party in the event of Nara Lokesh’s arrest, former minister and TD politburo member Ayyanna Patrudu said on Thursday.

Talking to the media during a protest programme the TD held in MVP Colony on Thursday, Partrudu referred to reports that the YSRC government might arrest Lokesh after he reaches Rajahmundry from New Delhi. “This issue is being discussed by senior TD leaders in Delhi and Vijayawada,” he said.

“They put Chandrababu in jail. Lokesh is ready to go to jail. Many forces are trying to destroy the TD but they will not succeed,” Patudu said.

“If necessary, Lokesh's wife Brahmani will lead the party. There is no dearth of leaders in the Telugu Desam,'' he stressed.

Patrudu said the TD government had even laid roads for Jagan Reddy’s pada yatra and deployed two ambulances for his protection. “In turn, Jagan now bans protests and rallies by the Opposition parties,” he said.

“They put me under house arrest for three days and later called me to the police station and grilled me. In all, the police filed 15 cases against me. They will file another case and put me in jail. I am ready to sacrifice my life for the causes of the party,’’ the former minister said.

Claiming that the YSRC era was over, Patrudu said the next government would be formed by the TD. “We will restore order in the state.”

He said the top leaders of the ruling party grabbed lands worth more than 75,000 crore in Visakhapatnam. It was unleashing anti-social elements on the land owners.”

"The government also went back on the liquor policy and in turn borrowed huge amounts at 9.6 per cent interest for a period of 25 years in the name of revenue from the liquor sales. The TD government gave Fibernet service to people at Rs149 per month but the YSRC government increased the charges to Rs450," he said.