Nani cancels important press meet after AP CM call

​Vijayawada: High-voltage drama unfolded at Kesineni Travels here on Friday when the TDP MP Kesineni Srinivasa Rao alias Nani abruptly cancelled his press meet following a phone call from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who summoned him to meet him immediately.

Kesineni Nani had invited media to attend an “important” press meet regarding Kesineni Travels at 4.30 pm on Friday.

As Nani was about to talk to the media persons, he got a call from the Chief Minister who asked him to meet him immediately. After the call, Nani abruptly cancelled the press meet and rushed to meet Naidu.

Before leaving, Nani reportedly told some of his followers that he was not going to change his decision (on closing down Kesineni Travels) and he would announce his final decision on Saturday.

It may be recalled that on March 25, Nani along with TDP MLA Bonda Umamaheshwar Rao, MLC Buddha Venkanna barged into deputy transport office in Vijayawada and had a verbal duel with transport commissioner N Balasubramanyam.

Nani, who blocked the way of the commissioner when he was leaving the office and alleged that one Sunil Reddy, owner of Orange Travels, and an alleged benami of YSRC president YS Jaganmohan Reddy, was influencing transport department officials by offering bribes, where he is operating around 150 buses in Vijayawada and about 400 buses across the state.

But, Balasubramaniam strongly denied the allegations and the row created a storm in state with opposition seizing up the matter to attack the government. Following a diktat from the Chief Minister, the trio tendered apology to trans port commissioner Balasubramanyam the next day.

According to transport department sources, Nani, who owns Kesineni Travels, tried to pressurise the commissioner to change a road accident report and when he refused to oblige, he along with his supporters staged a protest, which led to the controversy

After the incident, several rumours have been making rounds to the effect that Nani has decided to close his transport business, as he was fed up with the prevailing rampant corruption in the transport department.
He is also unhappy with the inaction of transport minister Sidda Raghava Rao in curtaining corruption in his own department.

In this backdrop, Kesineni Nani convened a press meet, where he wanted to announce an ‘important’ decision on continuing his travels company, which was not materialised due to sudden call by the Chief Minister.