Close on heels after informing that he will announce his future political plans in the first week of February, Vijayawada MP and high-profile TDP leader Kesineni Srinivas alias Kesineni Nani decided to resign from the parliamentary post and also give up his party membership very soon. Nani broke the news by himself through a social media post in which he clarified that there is no need for his continuance in the party when the party president Chandra Babu Naidu decided there is no use with him.
Disgruntled with the decision to keep him away from the 2024 elections and field another candidate from the Vijayawada constituency, Nani said to the media that he could even contest as an independent and win the people’s mandate. He initially stated that he would abide by the party’s decision through his social media post. However, he decided to leave the party before the upcoming assembly and parliament elections.
Nani’s departure at a crucial time will be a significant blow to the TDP in Vijayawada where he wields a strong clout. However, the TDP was in plans to replace Nani with his brother Kesineni Chinni who has been actively participating in party-related activities for the past few months. He was assured of a ticket to contest in the next elections as Nani was not following the directions of the high command and acting against the wishes of local leaders.
It would be interesting to see what will be Nani’s next step. He was a two-time Member of Parliament from Vijayawada constituency. He won the 2019 elections despite huge anti-incumbency on TDP. So, he will pose a significant challenge to the TDP if he deflects to a new party or contests independently.