In a big blow to Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP), four out of its Six Rajya Sabha MPs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana shifted their loyalties to Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday. The development comes days after the TDP faced a crushing defeat in both national and state polls.
Accompanied by BJP Working President JP Nadda and Party Leader of Rajya Sabha Thawar Chand Gehlot, three TDP MPs – YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, and TG Venkatesh meet M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice-President, and Rajya Sabha chairman, in Delhi. They passed a resolution to merge Legislature Party of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajya Sabha.
‘Inspired and encouraged by the impeccable leadership of Shri Narendra Modi ji and the development being pursued by him in the overall interest of the nation, we have decided to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party with immediate effect under para 4 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India’, said the resolution.
TDP MPs of Rajya Sabha- YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, TG Venkatesh, join BJP in presence of BJP Working President JP Nadda. TDP Rajya Sabha MP GM Rao to formally join later as he is unwell. pic.twitter.com/IU6ximVYtd
— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2019
YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, TG Venkatesh, also joined BJP in presence of BJP Working President JP Nadda. TDP Rajya Sabha MP GM Rao will later join the party formally as he is unwell.
Out of all the Four Rajya Sabha MPs, two of them have faced an intense series of searches by Income Tax, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). Rajya Sabha MP YS Chowdhury was a Minister of State in Narendra Modi’s previous government when TDP was a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
YS Chowdhury speaking to media said that the TDP MPs were influenced by the Leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that’s we have taken a call to merge.
Reacting to the development, TDP Chandrababu Naidu slammed Bharatiya Janata Party and accused it of weakening TDP in Andhra Pradesh.
‘We fought with BJP only for Special Category Status & state’s interests. We sacrificed Central Ministers for Special Status, condemn attempts of BJP to weaken TDP. Crisis is not new to the party. Leaders & cadre have nothing to be nervous about’, he said as quoted by ANI.
TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu: We fought with BJP only for Special Category Status & state's interests. We sacrificed Central Ministers for Special Status, condemn attempts of BJP to weaken TDP. Crisis is not new to the party. Leaders & cadre have nothing to be nervous about https://t.co/ekpeusRBHu
— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2019
Sources claimed that soon after TDP massive defeat in the polls, these MPs have started holding negotiations with the Saffron Party showing their willingness to jump ship.
TDP in the polls suffered a huge defeat in Andhra Pradesh. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP in recently held polls registered a landslide victory in both assembly and national polls in the state. YRSCP won 151 assembly seats out of the 175 assembly seat in the state and unseat Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP Government. While 23 seats bagged by TDP and one seat bagged by Pawan Kalyan‘s Jana Sena Party.
While in national polls, TDP could only manage to win 3 Seats while YSRCP bag 22 Lok Sabha Seats out of 25 seats in the state.
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