by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
BJP jolts TDP, 4 Rajya Sabha MPs desert Naidu, Join BJP
Amit Shah writes split script
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, June 20
The BJP got a shot in its arms when four of the six Rajya Sabha MPs of the TDP quit the party and joined the ruling dispensation. The four Rajya Sabha MPs formally handed over the letter to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha quitting the TDP and joining the BJP. They formally joined the BJP in the evening and BJP also wrote the letter to the Chairman RS informing him of its decision to admit them in the party.
The group of four led by the leader of the TDP Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha Y S Chowdary told Lokmat earlier in the day that green signal to join the BJP had been given by none other than the Union Home Minister Amit Shah whom he had met. The disgruntled group of MPs blamed TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh for their painful decision.
Y S Chowdry is a former Minister of State for Science & Technology in the first Modi government and C M Ramesh, another RS MP reported to have told Amit Shah that they are willing to join the BJP and three other Rajya Sabha MPs are also willing. When Amit Shah gave a go ahead after discussing the issue with the leadership, the split was formalised. However, only four formed the group.
Sources say that the TDP legislative party in Andhra Pradesh will also split vertically and as many as 12 MLAs will desert the former Chief Minister who fell out with Modi and joined hands with the Congress before the Lok Sabha polls. The party was routed in Lok Sabha and Assembly polls shattering the dreams of Naidu to install an Opposition government at the Centre.
The split signalled that the BJP is in a hurry to muster majority in the Rajya Sabha where it has 71 MPs in the House of 244. There are nine vacancies as of today. The NDA's strength in RS is 88 and the BJP is in a hurry to touch the majority mark by 2020 when biennial polls for 72 Rajya Sabha seats will take place.
Apart from Chowdary and Ramesh TG Benkatesh and Garikapati mohan rao also joined the BJP. Sources say that Y S Chowdary and C M Ramesh faced a slew of cases and feeling the heat for sometime.
