In yet another blow to the ruling Telugu Desam Party, Anakapalle MP, M Srinivas Rao resigned from the party and joined the Jaganmohan Reddy led YSRCP on Thursday. Besides resigning from the party, he also resigned from his MP post.

This comes after Chirala MLA, Amanchi Krishna Mohan also resigned from the party and joined the YSRCP on Wednesday.

After submitting the resignation, he met YSRCP president, YS Jaganmohan Reddy at his residence in Hyderabad. Addressing the media, he claimed that he resigned in protest against the Centre for not according Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh and against Chandrababu Naidu who couldn’t achieve it. "For the past one-and-half-years, we have been protesting both inside the Parliament and outside for Special Status, but the Centre didn't show any mercy. I then suggested to Chandrababu Naidu that all our MPs should resign en masse like the YSRCP MPs, in protest against the Centre. However, he didn't pay heed to my advice."

"He told me that it would be like we running away from our responsibility, but I told him that KCR had resigned numerous times for Telangana and got re-elected, but he didn't listen. Today, all the Parliamentary sessions have ended and what have we achieved so far?" he added.

Slamming TDP chief and AP Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, he said, "Chandrababu Naidu is now saying that Congress will accord Special Category Status to the state. In 2014, he allied with the BJP stating that it was the Congress which did injustice to the state by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. Now he is saying that allying with the Congress will help the state. He thinks that people will believe whatever he says."

He also insinuated that Naidu was an 'opportunist' and said, "When I was protesting for Special Status in Visakhapatnam, he asked me why I was protesting. He changes his stand depending on the situation, while Jagan is consistent with his stand." Violence also took place in Srikakulam on Thursday, after the TDP and YSRCP activists attacked each other over TDP leaders joining YSRCP.