As expected, senior Telugu Desam Party leader and former minister from Kadapa C Adinarayana Reddy defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday.
Adinarayana Reddy, who left for New Delhi on Wednesday night, met party president Amit Shah and informally joined the party on Thursday.
He said he would soon hold a massive public meeting at Kadapa, where he would make a formal announcement of joining the BJP.
Though it is evident that Reddy has joined the BJP to safeguard his business and political interests, he told the media that he had no option but to join the BJP to protect his followers and cadre, who had been facing harassment from the ruling YSR Congress party in the district.
“I have no complaints against the TDP and in fact, I have high regards for party president N Chandrababu Naidu. I told him I am compelled to join the BJP to protect my people, who are facing torture in the hands of YSRC leaders in the district,” he said.
Earlier, Adinarayana Reddy had met BJP national working president Jagat Prakash Nadda last month when the latter came to Hyderabad address a massive rally of the party.
He had apparently negotiated with the BJP leader over the deal for the defection.
Adinarayan Reddy, who got elected on the YSR Congress party ticket in Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district, defected to the Telugu Desam Party three years ago for the sake of cabinet berth.
He took up a belligerent stand against YSRC and its president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy subsequently.
However, he had to face troubles within the TDP from his arch rival P Ramasubba Reddy and it led to virtual group fights in Jammalamadugu.
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu had to personally intervene and bring about a compromise between the two.
As part of it, Adinarayana Reddy had to contest from Kadapa parliamentary seat, while Ramasubba Reddy got the TDP ticket from Jammalamadugu assembly constituency. But both of them lost the elections miserably.
Now, Adinarayana Reddy has realised that it is very difficult for him to survive politically in Kadapa district without strong support.
That is precisely why he has decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party at least for his political survival and to avoid being targeted by the YSR Congress party leaders in Kadapa district.