It was a homecoming for YSR Congress MLA Palaparthi David Raju from Yerragondapalem, who joined the ruling Telugu Desam Party on Sunday. David Raju's defection to the TDP came as a boost to the ruling party, which had been struggling to keep its flock together in neighbouring Telangana.
Speculations are rife in political circles that three more YSRC MLAs from the district may join the TDP sooner than latter.
The ruling TDP, which had won five assembly seats as against six seats by the YSRC, had recently admitted former District Congress President Amanchi Krishnamohan, who retained his Chirala MLA seat contesting as an Independent.
It was in the TDP that the dalit MLA had begun his political career. He rose from the party ranks to get elected a member of the Mandal Praja Parishad and Chairman of the Zilla Parishad before winning as a legislator in 1999 from S.N. Padu (SC reserved) in Prakasam District.
The fortunes of David Raju, a good orator, sank low along with that of the TDP in 2004 when Congress candidate Dara Sambaiah wrested the S.N. Padu seat from him.
He stood with the TDP during troubled times. But he decided to join the YSR Congress before the 2014 Assembly elections and was offered the party ticket to contest the from the Yerragondapalem constituency, which he had won comfortably.
The TDP district unit at its recent Coordination Committee meeting had envisaged return of Mr. David Raju to the party-fold along with another dalit YSRC MLA who had crossed over from the Congress party to the YSRC on the eve of assembly elections.
While clearing the name of Mr. David Raju, TDP Prakasam unit President and Ongole MLA D. Janardhan Rao had cautioned party supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu against admitting those who had enjoyed power for 10 long years.
