In a setback to opposition Congress in Telangana, its MLA Rammohan Reddy on Wednesday joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
The legislator from Makthal in Mahabubnagar district met TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and announced that he joined the ruling party "in the interest of development of his constituency".
On the occasion, state Health Minister C Laxman Reddy, who also belongs to Mahabubnagar district, said the MLAs from opposition parties are voluntarily joining TRS and that there is no pressure on them.
Congress won 22 seats in the 2014 Assembly elections, but some of its MLAs have since switched loyalty to the ruling party.
As many as 12 MLAs of the opposition TDP who switched loyalty to the TRS since the latter formed government in June 2014, have recently been recognized as members of the TRS in the Assembly.
Consequently, the strength of TRS rose to 78 (from 65 after the 2014 polls) and the TDP's strength reduced to just three (from 15).