Daggubati, Son Joining YSR Congress Party

Putting an end to the speculations doing the rounds in the Andhra Pradesh political circles for quite some time now, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, former minister and son-in-law of Telugu Desam Party founder N T Rama Rao, today called on YSR Congress Party chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and held discussions with him on joining the latter's party.

Rao, along with his son Hitesh Chenchuram, met Jagan at the latter's residence. Speaking to the media later, Rao said that they had decided to join the YSRCP, and that Jagan had welcomed their decision.

He said that they had discussed with Jagan Hitesh's future in the party, too.

Rao however said that his wife Purandeswari, BJP leader and BJP Mahila Morcha chief, would not be joining the YSRCP, and would continue in the BJP. The BJP leadership had advised her to continue in the party, and there was no possibility of her shifting loyalties, he said.

Rao flayed TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, saying that the administration in Andhra Pradesh had gone completely out of track. There was serious opposition from the people to the TDP government, he claimed. While insisting that there was no money with the government, the Chief Minister was spending lavishly on deekshas, Rao said. He also said that he had never seen the peculiar situation of a government giving post-dated cheques to beneficiaries.

It is learnt that YSRCP MP V Vijayasai Reddy played a crucial role in bringing the father and son into the YSRCP fold.