YSR Congress (YSRC) Lok Sabha MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy on Monday said he has quit the party and will join the ruling TRS in Telangana on May 4.
Reddy, President of YSRC in Telangana, said along with him some party MLAs and its office-bearers in Khammam district will also be switching over to the TRS.
The MP from Khammam said the decision has been taken to safeguard "interests" of the fledgling State and support the "good" work being done by the TRS Government.
"For Telangana's interests and in support of the good work being done by the present Government in Telangana, myself and along with me MLAs, (Khammam) district office-bearers have quit YSR Congress. All YSRC public representatives from Khammam district, including MLA P Venkateswarlu, are joining the TRS on May 4 in the presence of KCR (Chief Minister K C Rao)," he told reporters in Hyderabad.
The development comes as a setback for the Jaganmohan Reddy-led party which has been losing its legislators to ruling TDP in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
"When the inevitable situation came (with bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh), when the occasion of (YSRC President) Jaganmohan Reddy having to decide which side he would take came up, he decided to stay with Andhra people. He said Andhra Pradesh interests are important for him," said Telangana Industries Minister K T Rama Rao in Khammam.
Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, was reacting to the move by Srinivasa Reddy and other YSRC members.
"Now, Khammam MP Srinivasa Reddy, Pinapaka MLA Venkateswarlu, who were elected by Khammam people, and other friends in Telangana YSRCP have taken a decision," he said.
A number of MLAs from Opposition parties Congress, TDP and YSR Congress have joined the TRS since it assumed office in 2014.