Senior TDP leader quits, to join Chiranjeevi

The opposition Telugu Desam party received another big jolt on Thursday with senior leader and former minister Tammineni Sitaram quitting its ranks and joining the Praja Rajyam party of film-star turned politician Chiranjeevi.

Sitaram's departure is being seen as a big set back to the TDP specially in the northern coastal Andhra's Srikakulam district, where he was a big pillar of strength for the party.

Sitaram's move to switch over to Praja Rajyam was not a revolt against the party president Chandrababu Naidu but against another senior leader K Yerran Naidu, the TDP leader in Parliament who also belongs to the same district.

In his resignation letter addressed to Chandrababu Naidu, Sitaram said that he was disappointed by the failure of the party leadership to take action against those who had worked against the party in the 2004 elections and sabotaged the chances of party candidates just because they belonged to some other group.