YSR Congress' lone MP in Telangana joins TRS

YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's decision to go on fast to protest irrigation projects in Telangana cost him dearly in the state with the lone party MP and the last of the party legislators deciding to join ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

P. Srinivas Reddy, a member of Lok Sabha from Khammam, and P. Venkateshwarlu, member of Telangana assembly from Pinapaka constituency in Khammam district, announced on Monday that they resigned from the party.

Both told reporters in Khammam that they will formally join the TRS on May 4.

Earlier, state Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao personally went to the residence of Srinivas Reddy in Khammam and invited him and other leaders to join the TRS.

Rama Rao, who is son of TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, is camping in Khammam to campaign for May 16 by-election to Palair assembly constituency.

Jagan, as the YSR Congress chief is popularly known, had announced on Saturday that he will undertake three-day fast from May 16 to 18 at Kurnool to protest against the "illegal diversion" of Krishna water by Telangana.

The leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh alleged that Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project being built by Telangana will hit the interests of lower riparian state.

He said the project will draw Krishna water from Mahabubnagar itself through the without allowing water to reach Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar.

Srinivas Reddy criticised Jagan's decision, terming it as one-sided. "He took the decision despite knowing fully well that this will put us in a difficult position in Telangana," he said.

Srinivas Reddy was the only MP from YSRCP to be elected to Lok Sabha from Telangana in 2014 elections. The party had also bagged three assembly seats, all from Khammam.

Two MLAs of YSRCP joined TRS last year. The lone opposition party in Andhra Pradesh now has no presence in 176-member Telangana assembly.

--IANS

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