Nagam calls Babu a Puppeteer

Terming his suspension from the Tdp as “it is the Telugu Desam Party’s loss,” senior leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy on Thursday stated that party president N Chandrababu Naidu was the ‘puppeteer’ who was scripting the Samaikhya Andhra Pradesh movement from behind the scenes.

The suspended leader also stated that he was not averse working with any party which has a clear stand on the separate Telangana statehood demand, including the YSR Congress Party. Mr Janardhan Reddy told media persons at his residence that by accepting the recommendations of the Telugu Desam Party Telangana Forum, Tdp president N Chandrababu Naidu has permanently damaged one of his two eyes.

Mr Janardhan Reddy was referring to the oft-repeated statement by Mr Naidu that Telangana and Seemandhra are like his ‘two eyes.’ Stating that the decision taken late on Wednesday night to suspend him from the party for his alleged anti-party activities would be counterproductive to the Tdp in the long run, Mr Janardhan Reddy stated that the party has effectively wrapped up its presence in the Telangana region.

The senior MLA also added that he was not too bothered about his own suspension, but was concerned about the party leaders from Telangana who were under the impression that Mr Naidu would take a favourable decision on the separate statehood demand.

“What about their future? Where would they go if Mr Chandrababu Naidu keeps up his ambivalent stance on Telangana?,” Mr Janardhan Reddy stated. “Mr Chandrababu Naidu had ruled the state for nine years, with the obvious support of the people of Telangana who had cast their votes for him. He has now rewarded these people for reposing their faith in him by suspending me from the party and working from behind the scenes to support the Samaikhya Andhra Pradesh moves,” the suspended Tdp leaders stated.

“I have been fighting for Telangana. How can this be anti-party when the party had passed a resolution in 2008? By suspending me, Mr Naidu has effectively wrapped up the party in Telangana. I have lost nothing while it is the party’s loss,” he added. Mr Janardhan Reddy continued, “I was not elected due to Mr Naidu. I was elected because the people wanted to see me in the Assembly. If the Tdp recommends that I be suspended from the Assembly, I would go before the people and seek their mandate. After all, no leader would survive politically if he adopts an anti-Telangana stance.”