Senior leader Srihari quits TDP

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh suffered another setback when its senior leader Kadiam Srihari quit the party Saturday.

The former state minister, a key leader in the Telangana region, announced his decision to resign from TDP after consultation with his followers in Warangal district.

Alleging that the party leadership failed to respect the sentiments of people of Telangana, Srihari said he took the decision in tune with the people's aspirations. The former minister said while on the one hand TDP said it was not against the demand for separate Telangana state but on the other it did not actively participate in the movement.

Srihari's resignation came close on the heels of senior leader D. Veerbhadra Rao quitting the party and joining the YSR Congress. Rao was one of the top leaders from coastal Andhra region.

In Telangana, Srihari's resignation is yet another blow to the TDP ahead of next year's assembly elections. Unhappy with the party's ambiguous stand on Telangana, several leaders, including legislators N. Janardhana Reddy, Srinivas Reddy, K. Venugopalachari and Harishwar Reddy have resigned during last couple of years.

A Majority of those who quit the TDP joined Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which is fighting for separate statehood to Telangana. Some TRS leaders reportedly contacted Srihari after he announced his resignation.

Meanwhile, TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with party leaders from Telangana to discuss the fallout of Srihari's resignation. One of the TDP leaders E. Dayakar Rao said Srihari's resignation would have no impact on the party.