Rao's entry expected to add to TRS' strength in LS poll battle in Nizamabad

In a fresh setback to the TDP in Telangana, its senior leader and former minister Mandava Venkateswara Rao and the party's Hyderabad unit president M N Srinivas joined the ruling TRS on Saturday. Venkateswara Rao, a five-time MLA and an influential leader from Nizamabad, was welcomed into TRS fold by party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, TRS sources said.

Rao's entry is expected to add to TRS' strength in the Lok Sabha poll battle in Nizamabad and other places. Srinivas has been the president of TDP's Hyderabad unit. The exit of Venkateswara Rao adds to TDP's woes in Telangana. Once a major force in the state, TDP has found its base substantially weakened over the last several years with a number of party leaders joining the TRS. The party has decided not to field candidates in Telangana for the Lok Sabha polls.

TDP had allied with the Congress for the Telangana assembly polls held in December last. However, Congress and TDP got 19 and two seats respectively in the 119-member house. Meanwhile, Vaddiraju Ravichandra, who contested the Assembly polls on a Congress ticket in Warangal, also joined the TRS. Congress in Telangana is also facing a crisis of sorts as 10 of its 19 MLAs have announced their decision (in the last one month) to quit the party and join the TRS.

(With inputs from agencies.)