In a major blow to the TDP, Telangana TDP head L Ramana today not only resigned from his post but also the party, and made clear his intention to join the TRS soon.
Ramana revealed the decision after he met with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao at the Pragathi Bhavan on Wednesday (July 7). With this,
days of speculation regarding his departure from Telangana's barely alive TDP unit came to an end.
The leader wrote a letter of resignation to TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu in which he reportedly thanked the latter for his support over the last three decades and for the posts that he had been given so far, and explained that he had decided to join the TRS so that he could participate more effectively in developing Telangana.
He also claimed that he finally decided to switch over to the pink party after the CM assured him that he would be recognised within the TRS and would be given an appropriate post as well.
The resignation bodes ill for the TDP for a whole host of reasons, but perhaps this defection will have a slightly more personal impact on Naidu himself since Ramana has been a close aide of the former CM for nearly three decades now.
The TRS on the other hand may benefit greatly from the switch especially since it is being said that Ramana, a BC leader, will likely contest in the upcoming Huzurabad by-election, hoping to garner the votes of the Padmashali community in the constituency.