TDP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar joins BJP

In a blow to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) its spokesperson Lanka Dinakar on Wednesday quit the party and joined the BJP in the presence of its working president JP Nadda at party headquarters here.

Dinakar also submitted his resignation to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

"I, Lanka Dinakar, herewith submitting my resignation for my position in the party as National Spokesperson and primary membership of the party after unanimous decision of my family members," the resignation letter stated.

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Rajya Sabha member, Ram Kumar Kashyap and former MP AP Abdullakutty also joined the BJP today.

Earlier, TDP Rajya Sabha MPs -- YS Chowdary, C M Ramesh, T G Venkatesh, all from Andhra Pradesh, and G Mohan Rao who hails from Telangana, had on Thursday claimed to have merged themselves with the BJP. They later joined the BJP in presence of its Woking President J P Nadda.

This comes a month after TDP was decimated to just 23 seats in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly election while Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP got an absolute majority by winning 151 out of 175 seats. In Lok Sabha too, TDP could win only 3 seats in the recent elections.