Potluri may contest as independent

• PVP’s brother, supporters vow to defeat Kesineni
• Apology demanded for derogatory remarks

The fight for Vijayawada Lok Sabha ticket from Telugu Desam Party took a new turn with the family members, relatives and supporters of business tycoon Potluri Vara Prasad raising their voice against TDP nominee Kesineni Srinivas. In the successfully fought battle, Kesineni had levelled serious allegations against Potluri and termed him a ‘scamster’. Reacting to these charges, Potluri’s brother Ravi held a news conference here on Tuesday evening where he demanded unconditional apology from Kesineni for his outburst. Backed by the other family members and supporters, Ravi vowed to defeat Kesineni in the election. “We will work at every level to ensure that Kesineni is defeated. If needed, my brother would consider entering the battle as an independent,” Ravi said.

He dared Kesineni to prove the charges against PVP and said that they were ready to prove the misdeeds and violations of Kesineni and his travel agency. He further said that the government had penalised Kesineni on several occasions for violations and claimed that there was no such case against his brother either in India or outside. “We are ready to prove how many times Kesineni paid penalty to the government. Let him show us at least one case against PVP or tender unconditional apology,” Ravi said.