Causing a severe setback to the Congress party in Kadapa district, its senior leader and MLC Bathyala Chengalarayudu has decided to quit the party and join ruling Telugu Desam Party. Before joining the ruling party, today he will be submitting his resignation as MLC to the Legislative Council Chairman A Chakrapani in Hyderabad.

Chengalrayudu is known of having formidable following among Balija community in Rayalaseema region and he is an MLC for the last ten years. Last week he met Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to convey his decision to join TDP.

Though local TDP leaders form his Railway Koduru constituency opposing his admission into the party, Chief Minister has reportedly decided to admit him into the party so that to strengthen the party in district of Leader of Opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy. District TDP leaders also welcomed his decision.

He started his political career as a student leader and later joined BJP, raising to the level of State Yuva Morcha President, before he shifted to Congress party, due to local faction politics.

In the past, he was known as a strong opponent to Rajasekhar Reddy’s father YS Raja Reddy, which was allegedly led to several attempts on his life. As his constituency Railway Koduru is reserved for SCs, always he was failing to get party seat from other constituencies. However, in 2004 the AICC had confirmed him to give Tirupati seat.

However, later the seat was denied to him, as YS Rajasekhar Reddy, who was on his `Padayatra’ had allegedly threatened the party leadership that “if the seat gives to a person, who was among those who killed my father, I will suspend my Padayatra and work to defeat him camping at Tirupati”.

But, after becoming Chief Minister, Rajasekhara Reddy to make sure he should be `unchallenged’ in his own district, succeeded in getting support of Chengalrayudu in local body elections that makes Congress party swept the polls in the district. It makes him to be rewarded with MCL seat in 2007.