TDP national spokesperson Lanka Dinakar quits party; joins BJP

New Delhi: In a massive blow to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), its national spokesperson, Lanka Dinakar, on Wednesday (June 26) submitted his resignation to the party president N Chandrababu Naidu and joined the BJP in the presence of its working president JP Nadda at party headquarters.

In a letter to the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Dinakar said, "I, Lanka Dinakar, herewith submit my resignation from my position in the party as national spokesperson and primary membership of the party after a unanimous decision of my family members."

Speaking to MyNation on the sudden plan to jump ship, Dinakar said, "I joined the BJP on Wednesday (June 26). I took this decision because the people of this nation showed us who is our leader. Of course, we may have been against the BJP or PM Modi prior to elections, but people gave an obvious verdict to think that things have to be changed. This is the reason I have taken the decision."

When asked if Dinakar was in contact with the four TDP Rajya Sabha MPs, he said, "There is no connection between me joining the BJP and the four Rajya Sabha MPs joining the BJP. The case is entirely different. I do not hold any kind of position in this party (BJP). I was TDP's national spokesperson. I resigned from that position because of my individual decision."

Earlier in June, four TDP Rajya Sabha MPs (YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, TG Venkatesh and G Mohan Rao) had claimed that they have merged themselves with the BJP. They later joined the BJP in the presence of its working president JP Nadda.

These decisions by the former TDP leaders came a month after their party was decimated to just 23 seats in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly election while Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) had a landslide victory of 151 out of 175 seats. In the Lok Sabha election, TDP won just three seats.

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