Another TD MLA joins Jagan’s camp

The Telugu Desam Party has suffered yet another casualty in Chittoor, the home district of party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, with Palamaner legislator N Amarnath Reddy joining the Jagan Mohan Reddy camp.

Amarnath Reddy’s exit did not come as a surprise to TD leaders as they knew it was only a matter of time before he crossed the Rubicon. He has of late been criticising Chandrababu Naidu for writing to the Prime Minister on the Telangana issue. Naidu, during his padayatra in Anantapur district, came down on him saying that he was preparing ground to quit the Telugu Desam as he had selfish political interests.

Already, Thamballapalle TDP legislator AV Praveen Kumar Reddy bid goodbye to Chandrababu Naidu and joined the YSR Congress after Naidu wrote to Manmohan Singh to call an all-party meeting to resolve the issue of bifurcation of the state. Another legislator T Vanitha from Gopalapuram assembly constiteuncy in West Godavari district too joined Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party.

Amarnath Reddy called on Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Chahchalguda prison here on Friday. Speaking later, he said he would be joining the YSR Congress soon. He said he had taken the decision since he was against the nexus between Chandrababu Naidu and Kiran Kumar Reddy. In a swift reaction, the TDP placed him under suspension.

According to YSR Congress sources, encouraging defections from the Telugu Desam was important to Jagan Mohan Reddy as it would hit the morale of the TDP cadres.