Hyderabad: TDP MP Thota Narasimham and well-known businessman Potluri Vara Prasad were among those who joined the YSR Congress Party on Wednesday.
Narasimham, a leader of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and member of the Lok Sabha from Kakinada, along with his wife Vani met YSRCP chief Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy at his Lotus Pond residence here and joined the party. He is the third TDP MP to switch loyalties to the YSRCP. Last month, Anakapalli Lok Sabha MP Avanthi Srinivas and Amalapuram MP P Ravindra Babu had joined the opposition party.
Narasimham alleged that despite serving the TDP for a long time, he was insulted in the party and this made him quit and join the YSRCP. His decision came after Chief Minister and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu turned down the demand for a ticket to his wife to contest the Assembly elections from Peddapuram constituency.
Potluri Vara Prasad, popularly known as PVP, also joined the YSRCP. Jagan welcomed him into the party. PVP, also a film producer and philanthropist, is likely to contest for the Lok Sabha from the Vijayawada constituency. He had tried to get a TDP ticket to contest from Vijayawada in the 2014 elections but did not succeed.
Actor Raja Ravindra also called on Jagan and formally joined the YSRCP. Eluru Mayor Shaik Nurjahan of the TDP also joined the YSRCP. Simultaneous elections to the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly and all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state are scheduled in a single phase on April 11.
