Guntur, July 25: Senior Congress MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao today demanded the removal of major industries minister Kanna Lakshminarayana, who filed a defamation suit against him, from the state cabinet. Talking to newsmen here, he also demanded a probe into the illegal wealth amassed by the minister. He threatened to quit the party if the Congress high command failed to take action against Kanna. The political rift between Rayapati and Kanna had started widening since the latter shifted to Guntur West constituency in last elections from Pedakurapadu from where he was elected thrice.
Some followers of Rayapati changed their loyalties and supported Kanna in the 2009 elections. Kanna is said to be trying to establish his supremacy over the district Congress ignoring Rayapati brothers.
When former Repalle MLA Ambati Rambabu was suspended from the Congress, there was a confusion among followers of Kanna as he belongs to the same caste (Kapu). Kanna is said to have filed a defamation case against Rayapati to prevent the party high command from acting unilaterally on the complaint lodged by the MP to AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
–Agencies