Going seems to be getting tough for TDP

After four of its Rajya Sabha members crossed over to the BJP, the Opposition TDP is staring at another setback, this time in the form of mass migration of sitting MLAs, MPs, former MLAs, and key advisors to the saffron party. Currently, the party has 23 MLAs in the 175-member Assembly and three MPs in the Lok Sabha.
In less than a month of receiving a severe drubbing in the elections, four of its six MPs – Y.S. Chowdary, C.M. Ramesh, T.G. Venkatesh and Garikapati Rammohan Rao – joined the BJP. Their exit on Thursday – when party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu is on a holiday along with his family in Europe – and the fast-changing developments thereafter are a pointer to the weakening of the party further. “The leaders are of the view that there is no point in staying put in a sinking ship. Joining a strong national party serves their interests best. Not just the MLAs and MPs, some of the advisors too are joining the BJP shortly. It’s just a matter of time,” confides a leader in the TDP on condition of anonymity. Interestingly, one of the MPs is evaluating the option of joining the ruling YSRCP, he says.
Going by the sources in both TDP and BJP, the national party intends to weaken the TDP and emerge as a strong player by the 2024 elections. With Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy making it clear that MLAs keen on joining the YSRCP will have to do so only after resigning to their post, the BJP is the only option left for those eager on switching their loyalties.

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