Former Rajya Sabha member Rapolu Anand Bhaskar quits BJP, to join TRS

BJP leader in Telangana, Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar on Sunday called on TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and expressed his keenness to join the ruling party.

Bhaskar, who had served as Rajya Sabha member between 2012 and 2018 when he was in Congress, met Rao at Pragati Bhavan, the CM's camp office-cum-official residence here, TRS sources said late on Sunday night.

Expressing disappointment over the NDA government at imposing GST on handloom products, Bhaskar told Rao that he cannot tolerate this as he belonged to a family which is into handlooms, they said.

Bhaskar, a journalist by profession, informed Rao that he would quit BJP and join the TRS, they added.

The former Rajya Sabha member had resigned from Congress and joined BJP in 2019.

Bhaskar's meeting with Rao comes close on the heels of two leaders -- former Legislative Council Chairman Swamy Goud and Sravan Dasoju -- quitting BJP and joining the TRS.