The Telugu DesamParty has suffered yet another casualty in Chittoor, the home district of partysupremo N Chandrababu Naidu, with Palamaner legislator N Amarnath Reddy joiningthe Jagan Mohan Reddy camp.
Amarnath Reddy’s exit did not come as a surprise toTD leaders as they knew it was only a matter of time before he crossed theRubicon. He has of late been criticising Chandrababu Naidu for writing to thePrime Minister on the Telangana issue. Naidu, during his padayatra in Anantapurdistrict, came down on him saying that he was preparing ground to quit theTelugu Desam as he had selfish political interests.
Already, Thamballapalle TDPlegislator AV Praveen Kumar Reddy bid goodbye to Chandrababu Naidu and joinedthe YSR Congress after Naidu wrote to Manmohan Singh to call an all-party meetingto resolve the issue of bifurcation of the state. Another legislator T Vanitha fromGopalapuram assembly constiteuncy in West Godavari district too joined Jagan MohanReddy’s party.
Amarnath Reddy called on Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Chahchalgudaprison here on Friday. Speaking later, he said he would be joining the YSRCongress soon. He said he had taken the decision since he was against the nexusbetween Chandrababu Naidu and Kiran Kumar Reddy. In a swift reaction, the TDPplaced him under suspension.
According to YSR Congress sources, encouraging defectionsfrom the Telugu Desam was important to Jagan Mohan Reddy as it would hit themorale of the TDP cadres.