Addanki MLA Gottipati Ravikumar of the YSR Congress today crossed over to the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh.
He is the 14th legislator to quit the lone opposition and join the ruling party in the last two months.
Ravikumar was admitted into the TDP by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in the presence of party AP unit president K Kala Venkata Rao and many other leaders.
The Gottipati family from Prakasam district once sailed with the TDP but, owing to faction feud with another leader Karanam Balarama Krishna, joined the Congress.
Ravikumar was elected to the AP Assembly in 2004 and 2009 as a Congress candidate but joined the YSRC after Jagan floated the outfit.
He was elected as an MLA for the third time on behalf of YSRC in 2014.
He had been unhappy with the state of affairs in YSRC and wanted to quit a couple of months ago.
But convincing Karanam Balarama, who is now a senior vice-president of the TDP, over Ravikumar’s admission proved tough.
“I will neither welcome nor oppose Ravikumar’s entry into the TDP,” Karanam reportedly told Chandrababu as the latter discussed the issue last night.
By then Chandrababu was said to have made up his mind to admit Ravikumar, Karanam’s opposition notwithstanding.
On his part, Ravikumar too held series of talks with his supporters and constituents in the last four-five days and decided to jump onto the TDP bandwagon.
Accordingly, a formal function was organised here this afternoon and Ravikumar joined the TDP.
PTI