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Andhra TDP MLA quits party, assembly membership and politics
In a letter written to the TDP president, Vamsi, who represents Gannavaram assembly constituency near Vijayawada in Krishna district, also announced that he would stay away from active politics.
In the first major setback to Telugu Desam Party headed by former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu after the party’s debacle in the recent elections, senior lawmaker of the party Vallabhaneni Vamsi on Sunday resigned from the primary membership of the party and also his assembly membership.
In a letter written to the TDP president, Vamsi, who represents Gannavaram assembly constituency near Vijayawada in Krishna district, also announced that he would stay away from active politics.
Interestingly, Vamsi’s resignation comes a day after he met YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy at the latter’s residence at Tadepalli on Saturday. He was accompanied by state information minister Perni Nani and civil supplies minister Kodali Nani, both of whom are his close friends.
A YSRC leader familiar with the development said Jagan had invited Vamsi into the YSRC, but asked him to resign from his assembly membership. “Though Vamsi has said he was quitting active politics, he would join the YSRC soon,” he said.
The TDP won only 23 MLAs in the 175-member state assembly, besides three out 25 MP seats. With Vamsi’s resignation, the TDP’s strength in the state assembly has come down to 22.
While thanking the TDP president for giving him an opportunity to work for the party, Vamsi said after getting elected as an MLA for the second time, he, his followers and associates had been in neck-deep troubles due to the vindictive attitude of local YSRC leaders and partisan attitude of some government employees.
He said their problems would be compounded if he continued at the helm of affairs. “Hence, I have decided to restrain myself and quit the politics to at least safeguard them, by reducing unnecessary friction and unwarranted animosity. Hence, I hereby tender my resignation from the assembly membership and primary membership of TDP party,” Vamsi said.
