TDP Rajya Sabha M P Y S Chowdary, who changed sides to join BJP along with three other colleagues on Thursday, said that he wants all issues raised in Andhra Pradesh Reorgzation Act to be implemented as early as possible.
TDP MPs of Rajya Sabha- YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, TG Venkatesh, joined BJP in presence of BJP Working President JP Nadda. TDP Rajya Sabha MP GM Rao will formally join later as he is unwell.
At a press conference at the BJP headquarters to welcome the M P's, Chowdary said: "We have joined to work for the nation and particularly for the state of Andhra Pradesh. We want to emphasize on all issues raised in the Andhra Pradesh Reorgzation Act to be implemented as early as possible. I have joined since this is the best platform to work for the development of Andhra Pradesh and we want to work in coordination rather than confrontation."
"They all were thinking about joining BJP since long. All of them are ground leaders and their joining BJP will strengthen the base of the party in Andhra Pradesh," said BJP working president JP Nadda.
In a massive blow to TDP after its decimation in the recent elections, four of its six Rajya Sabha MPs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana merged themselves with the BJP on Thursday.
Accomped by BJP Working President J P Nadda and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Thawar Chand Gehlot, three MPs -- Y S Chowdary, C M Ramesh and T G Venkatesh -- met Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu and submitted a resolution purportedly passed by the Legislature Party of Telugu Desam in the upper House where the merger decision was taken.
The fourth MP, G Mohan Rao, who is from Telangana, was not part of the delegation that met Naidu as he was stated to have suffered some injury.
The resolution said the Legislature Party met under the leadership of Chowdary and Deputy leader Ramesh. The TDP has six members in Rajya Sabha and three in Lok Sabha.Notably, Chowdary was a Minister of State in the Modi government before TDP parted ways with BJP last year. He is facing a CBI probe in connection with a multi-crore bank fraud allegedly involving his company Crompton Engineering Projects Ltd. He has allegedly cheated Andhra Bank to the tune of Rs. 71 crore in 2017. The CBI had also raided his premises in Hyderabad earlier this month.
( With inputs from ANI )