Vijayasai Reddy backs Pawan Kalyan as AP’s leader

YSR Congress Party MP Vijayasai Reddy has suggested that Jana Sena Party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan should take over the leadership of Andhra Pradesh, sidelining current leadership (Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu). Through a series of tweets, Reddy emphasized Kalyan's youth and national popularity, positioning him as an ideal leader for the state.

"National popularity and age are on his side. I truly believe that DCM @PawanKalyan is the most ideal person among the leaders of the NDA ruling parties in Andhra Pradesh to lead and represent AP. AP is a young State, and a gentleman who is almost 75 years old cannot lead it," Reddy tweeted, indirectly targeting the TDP chief.

Political observers see Reddy’s remarks as an attempt to create divisions within the NDA alliance and challenge Naidu’s longstanding leadership. His comments come at a time when the state's political landscape is already heating up ahead of the elections.

Kakinada port controversy

Reddy also used the platform to address controversies surrounding the Kakinada port case. He criticized the issuance of lookout notices without a thorough investigation and described the allegations as a politically motivated vendetta.

Reddy demanded a probe into the 1997 case, questioning the motivations behind the timing of the complaint. He denied accusations of contacting KV Rao regarding the Kakinada port in May 2020, calling for concrete evidence to back such claims.

In a pointed remark, Reddy questioned KV Rao’s contributions during his tenure and linked the accusations to Chandrababu Naidu’s political resurgence. “This is clearly an attempt to malign me and distract from the larger political failures of others,” Reddy said.