4 out of 6 Rajya Sabha MPs of Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP likely to join BJP: Reports

Things are apparently not going well in Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP (Telugu Desam Party) as some reports suggest that four out of its six Rajya Sabha MPs are likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These reports indicate that all the four parliamentarians may submit their resignation letters to their party president.

The six Rajya Sabha MPs of the TDP are Y S Chowdary, Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar, C M Ramesh, Garikapati Mohan, Thota Seetharama Lakshmi, and  T G Venkatesh. 

The development comes days after the Telugu Desam Party suffered a drubbing in the Assembly and Lok Sabha Elections. 

The top leadership is worried that several MLAs may follow the suit, stripping the TDP of principal opposition party status in Andhra Pradesh. The TDP's strength is 23 in the 175-member Assembly.

Earlier, there were reports that senior TDP leader and former minister E Peddi Reddy, a two-time MLA, was planning to join the BJP soon.

"There is willingness from my side and they (BJP) requested me to join. I am discussing with all. Most probably, their (BJP) leadership would give date and time... (for joining) in Hyderabad," he had said.

Reddy, who is a general secretary of TDP, had served as minister during the tenure of TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu as Chief Minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh. He won twice from Huzurabad in Karimnagar district.

Senior TRS leader A P Jithender Reddy, D K Aruna, who had served as a Minister in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, and former Congress MLC, P Sudhakar Reddy, had recently joined the BJP.