TDP strongman Subba Reddy joins Congress

In a move that could change political equations in Kurnool district, TDP's sitting MLA and regional strongman S V Subba Reddy has quit the party and joined the Congress.

The development has been balanced somewhat with Manganti Venkateswara Rao (Babu), who till recently was a Minister in Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's cabinet, resigning from the Congress and joining the TDP with both events happening late last evening.

Subba Reddy was the only TDP MLA to get elected from the entire Kurnool district in the 2004 elections. In all, he was elected MLA five times from Kurnool and was the man who converted TDP into a force to reckon with in the district.

His daughter Sobha Nagai Reddy and son-in-law Bhooma Nagai Reddy quit TDP a few months ago and joined Praja Rajyam Party headed by actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi.

With Subba Reddy's exit from the party, TDP has been weakened in Kurnool which is one of the key areas of Rayalseema region.

Subba Reddy's son Mohan Reddy and former chairman of Zilla Parishad B Venkataramudu also joined Congress yesterday.

Earlier, former minister Mudragadda Padmanabham had also quit TDP and joined the Congress.