Kolusu Parthasarathi, a rebel MLA of Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) here on Monday while another YSRCP MLA Vasanta Krishna Prasad announced that he too would follow suit in a day or two.
The MLA from Penamaluru in Krishna district joined the TDP in the presence of party’s national General Secretary Nara Lokesh.
Parthasarathi joined the TDP two days after the party announced him as the candidate from Nuzvid constituency in Eluru district in the forthcoming elections.
His name figured in the list of 94 candidates announced by TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday. A popular BC leader who served as minister in Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh, he had met Naidu last month after indications that YSRCP may not field him again.
Parthasarathi, president of the Vijayawada city unit of the YSRCP, Boppana Bhavana Kumar, and the former chairman of the Kamma Corporation, Tummala Chandrasekhar, too quit the party and joined the TDP on Monday.
They said the state will progress only if Nara Chandrababu Naidu becomes the Chief Minister again.
Welcoming all the three leaders into the TDP fold, Nara Lokesh felt that the need for all the people to come forward in support of the TDP in the upcoming elections to ensure that Naidu is back as the Chief Minister.
Lokesh made it clear that it is possible only for the TDP to accord proper recognition and respect for all the sections in society.
Meanwhile, YSRCP sitting MLA from Mylavaram, Vasnatha Krishna Prasad has announced that he will join TDP in a day or two. He stated that he had no personal differences with TDP leader and former minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao and was ready to work with him. Devineni Uma’s name was missing from the first list of TDP candidates amid reports that Vasantha Krishna Prasad, who was denied renomination by YSRCP, is vying for the TDP ticket.
The senior TDP leader met Naidu on Sunday and assured him that he will abide by whatever decision the party takes.