Rayapati to quit politics

Guntur, Dec. 5: The Guntur MP, Mr Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, has announced that he will retire from politics soon.

He cited his age and his inability to provide adequate funds for the development of his constituency as the reasons for his decision but is well known that he is disgruntled at being left out of the Cabinet and at seeing his bête noir, Mr Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, being included. He had recently complained against minister for housing, Mr Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, to the party high command and had met former chief minister Mr K. Rosaiah and tried to get him to remove Mr Lakshmi Narayana, who he claimed was corrupt.

In spite of this, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy inducted Mr Lakshmi Narayana into his new Cabinet. Mr Lakshmi Narayana has filed a defamation suit against Mr Sambasiva Rao and asked him to prove the corruption allegation or pay `1 crore in compensation.

Mr Sambasiva Rao is now said to be expecting a berth in the Central ministry. He is also said to be prepared to take the post of TTD chairman if it is offered to him. Replying to a question during a press interaction on Sunday, Mr Sambasiva Rao denied that he was dissatisfied.