"I never imagined that I would have to quit TDP in which I served since its inception. I was forced to walk out of TDP due to its anti-people policies," Amarnath told reporters after meeting Jagan.
He announced later that he would soon join the YSR Congress in deference to wishes of people in his Palamaneru constituency in Chittor district.
Amarnath's exit is a blow to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu's home district Chittoor. A close aide of Chandrababu, Amarnath's exit has been on the cards for sometime now after he publicly criticised Chandrababu over the TDP's stand on the Telangana statehood issue.
He is the fourth MLA from the Andhra-Rayalaseema region to be suspended from the TDP.
Earlier, TDP MLAs Kodali Srivenkateswara Rao alias Nani (from Gudivada in Krishna district), Taneti Vanita (from Gopalapuram in West Godavari district) and Praveen Kumar Reddy (from Tamballapalli in Chittoor district) have been suspended from the party after they jumped over to the YSRC. The rebel MLAs have switched sides to YSRC.
