Setback to Chandrababu Naidu as 4 TDP Rajya Sabha MPs join BJP

The Telugu Desam Party faced a huge setback as four of its Rajya Sabha MPs quit on June 20 and joined the BJP, increasing the saffron party's presence in the Upper House.

The MPs YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, TG Venkatesh joined the BJP in presence of the party's working president JP Nadda. G Mohan Rao will formally join the party later as he is unwell, news agency ANI has reported.

The MPs had earlier met Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu about their decision. They had passed a resolution to merge Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with the BJP.

TDP MPs of Rajya Sabha- YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, TG Venkatesh and GM Rao, today passed a resolution to merge Legislature Party of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with BJP. pic.twitter.com/3ln6qy5l8G

— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2019

Their decision to back the BJP will give a boost to the saffron party in the Upper House as the ruling National Democratic Alliance does not have a majority there yet.

TDP President and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu told ANI, "We fought with the BJP only for Special Category Status and the state's interests. We sacrificed Central Ministers for Special Status; I condemn attempts of BJP to weaken TDP. The crisis is not new to the party. Leaders and cadre have nothing to be nervous about. "

The TDP had six members in the Rajya Sabha. After four of them break away, it will meet the legal requirement of anti-defection law, which mandates the support of at least two-third members for a split to be recognised in Parliament.

The Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245 members and the BJP is the single largest party with 71 MPs.