M Rajesh, the legislator from Chintalapudi in West Godavari district who met YSRC Honorary President Y S Vijayamma at her Lotus Pond residence here, later said he was quitting the Congress forthwith and would also resign from the MLA post soon.
"It was the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who gave political life to me. His sudden demise left me distraught. I continued in the Congress only to complete some development works in my constituency," the software engineer-turned MLA said.
"I am a relieved man, now that I have returned to the YSR family," Rajesh noted.
The first-time MLA had in fact sailed closely with YSRC President and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy for some time after YSR's death but later stayed back in the Congress.
Rajesh is the third MLA from the Congress to join YSRC since the by-elections in June.
Bobbili MLA Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao and Eluru MLA Alla Srinivas (Nani) also joined the fledgling party after tendering resignation from their posts.
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Their resignations are pending disposal with Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar.
Meanwhile, TDP MLA Taneti Vanita from Gopalapuram in West Godavari district is also set to join YSRC. She has already announced her decision to leave the TDP alleging that she was being ill-treated in the Opposition party.
Vanita will be following in the footsteps of her political mentor, former TDP MLA Krishna Babu, who recently joined the Jagan bandwagon.
Another former MLA of TDP, Changala Venkat Rao, also joined YSRC today. He met Vijayamma this morning to formally join the party.
Incidentally, Rajesh, Vanita and Venkat Rao belong to the Schedule Castes and their entry into the YSRC is being seen as a boost to the new political outfit.