Member of Andhra PradeshLegislative Council and former minister Dokka Manikya Varaprasad on Monday quit the Telugu Desam Party and joined the ruling YSR Congress.Dokka, who also tendered resignation from his MLC post, met Chief Minister and YSRC president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and joined the party."I am joining the YSRC to be a part of the development agenda being pursued by Jagan," Dokka told reporters here.Another former TDP MLA S A Rahman also joined the YSRC in the presence of Jagan.Rahman quit the TDP in December last, opposing its stand against making Visakhapatnam the executive capital of the state.Rahman, who had previously served as Chairman of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority, welcomed Jagan Mohan's announcement of the executive capital.He claimed the YSRC would win the Visakhapatnam Mayor seat in the elections slated for March 23.Dokka said he had in fact wanted to join the YSRC back in 2014 but instead joined the TDP for some reasons."But I did not get due respect in the TDP. The attitude of the TDP leadership left me anguished," he said.Though he sought the Tadikonda (SC) seat in the 2019 elections, the TDP fielded him from Prathipadu (SC) knowing well that he would lose, Dokka added.
