Two more TDP legislators join TRS

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) received a severe setback in Telangana on Wednesday as its two legislators including party leader in the Telangana assembly E. Dayakar Rao joined the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Dayakar Rao, one of the senior leaders of TDP who hails from Warangal district, and Prakash Goud, a legislator from Rajendernagar constituency in Greater Hyderabad, joined the TRS in the presence of party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Dayakar Rao said he was leaving the TDP with a heavy heart as he was associated with the party for a long time. He told reporters that he was joining TRS as people are with the party.

This was the second jolt to the TDP in as many days.

K.P. Vivekanand, who represents Quthbullapur assembly constituency in Greater Hyderabad, had joined the TRS on Tuesday.

The developments came in the wake of the TDP's crushing defeat in the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

The TDP bagged only one seat and its alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) four seats in the 150-member GHMC.

The ruling party scored a landslide victory in last week's elections to the GHMC, winning 99 seats.

As many as nine legislators of the TDP have joined the TRS since 2014. The TDP had bagged 15 seats in the 119-member assembly.