Sudden move spoils BJP's plans for Telangana

Vijayawada: Former CBI joint director V.V. Lakshminarayana’s decision has come as a surprise to the BJP and other political parties which have now started analysing its impact on Andhra Pradesh politics.

Mr Lakshminarayana had roused curiosity when he attended a few RSS meetings in the past few months. There was talk that he would join the BJP and be projected as the Chief Minister candidate due to his clean image, the way the party did with former IPS officer Kiran Bedi as the CM face in Delhi.

Ending days of speculations, he now appears to be leaning towards joining Lok Satta, which has been inactive for some time. It is learnt that many former bureaucrats and intellectuals who share similar ideology of Mr Lakshminara-yana will join him. 

Speaking about Mr Lakshminarayana, a BJP leader said, “It has come as a surprise to us. He has been in regular touch with a top functionary of the party who had invited him to join us. He was assured of a prominent place at the central level. But I don’t know what happened. We felt he too showed an inclination to join the party. It would have been good for the party in AP if he had joined. But he seems to have joined Lok Satta.”  

Mr Lakshminarayana was critical about the state of farming in AP. He had said that he would prepare a people’s manifesto based on his impressions and experiences of his statewide tour.