Congress leaders in Seemandhra continue to flock to the TDP in search of greener pastures.
Congress MLA Eli Venkata Madhusudhana Rao alias Nani (Tadepalligudem) is the latest to become the member of the yellow party.
He took the membership of the TDP in the presence of party boss N Chandrababu Naidu here on Wednesday.
Eli Nani was once considered as the close aide of Union minister K Chiranjeevi and had won the 2009 Assembly polls from Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district on the then Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) ticket.
After the merger of PRP with Congress, Nani sided with the then chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He was one of the few Congress MLAs who sat alongside Kiran when the latter had resigned from the CM post.
Interestingly, like Eli Nani, former minister Sake Sailajanath, vice-president of Kiran’s Jai Samaikyandhra party, is also reportedly contemplating joining the TDP.
Former minister JC Diwakar Reddy, who also hails from the same Anantapur district to which Sailajanath belongs, said he would be joining the TDP on March 23.
Speaking to reporters in Anantapur district on Wednesday, Diwakar Reddy praised TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to skies saying, “There is no leader other than Naidu in Seemandhra who can develop the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh. TDP’s future looks very bright.”
Exuding confidence that the TDP would come to power after the ensuing general polls, Diwakar Reddy called upon the Congress leaders and cadres in the district to join the TDP.
“I am sure the Congress Party won’t have a single leader to represent it in Anantapur district after March 23. TDP will win all Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in the district by a landslide in the ensuing general polls,” he predicted.
Meanwhile, former minister Thota Narasimham from East Godavari district might board the yellow ship on March 21.
Another heavyweight of the Congress, DL Ravindra Reddy from Kadapa district is expected to join the TDP on March 25, followed by Congress MLA from Kamalapuram G Veerasiva Reddy.
SOME GAIN, SOME LOSS for yellow party
Even as the TDP is witnessing large-scale migration from the Congress to it in Seemandhra, the contrary is happening to the yellow party in Telangana. Despite the TDP boss N Chandrababu Naidu’s hints that he is forging an electoral alliance with the BJP in Telangana too, his comrades continue to desert the party. Latest leader, who could leave the TDP in Telangana is MLA P Ramulu (Achampet) from Mahbubnagar district. Speculation is rife that Ramulu might quit the TDP to join the Congress. However, the MLA denied the reports and said he would not leave the TDP.