TDP strongman 'quits' party, MLAship

Hyderabad, June 23 (UNI) In a major jolt to the Opposition Telugu Desam Party, Former Andhra Pradesh Home Minister and Party Polit bureu Member T Devendar Goud had reportedly resigned from the State Assembly and also from the TDP to exert pressure on the issue of statehood for Telangana.

Mr Goud had reportedly sent his resignation letters through his Personnal Secretary Harishankar.

Mr Goud, who is among the five-member core committee of the TDP on the Telangana issue, was peeved over attempts to isolate him allegedly by the party coterie since the meeting of the Politburo, party's highest decision making body, near Kakinada early this month.

Mr Goud, who had pitched strongly for Telangana, had not minced words to tell Party President N Chandrababu Naidu hours before the politbureu meet that any dithering on the Telangana would adversely impact the party's fortunes in the 2009 general elections.

Mr Goud's resignation is bound to send ripples in the TDP which is already in the grip of Telangana groups.

Former Ministers K Srihari, E Peddi Reddy, Senior Party Member Ch Rajeshwar Rao and many others had echoed Mr Goud's sentiment.

UNI DB/AP RL KP1212