HYDERABAD, 21 June 2004 — The Telugu Desam Party yesterday expelled nine senior leaders from the party a day after they announced their intention to quit the party and join Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
Announcing the decision to newsmen, TDP General Secretary R. Prakash Reddy and former minister N. Janardhan Reddy said that the party president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation and ordered the expulsion of the erring members.
Those expelled are former MPs M. Rajaiah and Ajmeera Chandulal, former minister G. Rajesham Goud, former MLAs Pati Subhadra, K. Madhusudhan Rao, Medak district party incharge J. Nawaz Reddy, Jagtial municipal council chairman J.R. Desai, defeated candidate from Siddipet parliamentary constituency Dr. K. Lingaiah and another party functionary Nagabhusham Gupta.
The TDP general secretary said that these leaders were being expelled for anti-party activities since they had worked against the party in the recent elections to the state assembly and the Lok Sabha.
Asked if they were being “formally” expelled since they announced that they were joining the TRS, Prakash Reddy said that this was not so. “In fact, they are joining the TRS because they scented that we are going to take disciplinary action against them.”
It may be recalled that a dozen prominent TDP leaders from Telangana region attended a meeting convened by ex-MP M. Rajaiah and announced their decision to quit the party on June 23 and join the TRS the next day because the people of the region had given a clear verdict in favor of a separate Telangana state.
