Telangana: TDP MLA quits over ''ambivalent'' stand of party

Hyderabad, Sep 29: Protesting against "ambivalent" stand of his party over Telangana statehood issue, a TDP MLA from Nizamabad district today (Sept 29) resigned from the party and is set to join separatist Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), sources said.

Gampa Govardhan, who is TDP MLA from Kamareddy in Nizamabad district, has faxed his resignation letter to the TDP headquarters at NTR Bhavan here this morning, they said.

"Despite a clear sentiment for a separate state, the TDP has failed to come out with a clear stand on Telangana. Hence, I have decided to quit the party," Govardhan said in the resignation letter. The legislator met TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao two days ago sparking speculations that he might switch sides.

He also did not turn up at the Telugu Desam legislature party office on Wednesday when 32 other TDP MLAs submitted their resignations to the Legislature Secretary on the statehood issue.

Govardhan becomes the second legislator after Pocharam Srinivas Reddy from Nizamabad district to quit TDP and join TRS.

Pocharam is now contesting the by-election, necessitated by his own resignation, from Banswada constituency on TRS ticket.

Meanwhile, Errabilli Dayakar Rao, TDP convener of Telangana Forum, alleged that KCR was using coercive tactics to lure TDP MLAs into TRS.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, however, is said to have remarked that the exit of one or two MLAs would not affect the party.

PTI