Ex-Cong leader joins TDP

Ahead of the Lok Sabha and State assembly polls, former Congress leader Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy formally joined the Telugu Desam Party in his native Kurnool district Saturday, ending days of speculation over his political moves.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inducted Suryaprakash Reddy, a former union minister, into the TDP at Kurnool.

Reddy's wife and former MLA Kotla Sujatamma and son Raghavendra Reddy also joined the TDP.

He is expected to be fielded to the Lok Sabha from Kurnool constituency that he previously represented twice.

Reddy is the son of former Chief Minister Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy, a towering leader of the Congress party during Indira Gandhi's rule and subsequent periods.

Reddy quit the Congress recently and had a dinner meeting with Naidu at the latter's residence here.

Ever since, speculation has been rife that the former Union Minister of State for Railways would join the TDP.

"Kurnool district is facing a severe water problem on the irrigation front and the Chief Minister promised to resolve it. Naidu has been implementing many schemes for the welfare of the farmers," Reddy said.

"All honest people are joining the TDP...," Naidu remarked.

At least four states Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim are scheduled to head for assembly elections in April-May, simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.