Purandeswari decides to join BJP

Former union minister Daggubati Purandeswari has decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

Purandeswari's husband and Congress MLA Daggubati Venkateshwara Rao too will join the BJP along with her wife. Speaking to media persons after holding a meeting with her supporters and a few MLAs from Visakhapatnam, Purandeswari announced that she would join the BJP and would meet party's Central leaders in New Delhi on Friday. She is likely to meet BJP Presient Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and LK Advani.

However, Purandeswari's decision was not fully supported by her supporters who argued that the BJP too supported the Telangana Bill in the Parliament. However, the Daggubati couple contended that the BJP was the best alternate to Congress party in the present circumstances.

"My bonding with people of my constituency (Visakhapatnam) is beyond politics. I have spoken to my supporters and also consulted some other MPs from Seemandhra region," she told reporters. She expressed regrets that the Congress party not only divided Andhra Pradesh, but did not consider any of the representations made by the Seemandhra MPs. "We gave many representations to the Group of Ministers, but none of them were considered," she said.

"First I decided to quit politics. Since I have served for 10 years, my supporters and family members forced me to stay back," she said.

Purandeswari, the daughter of TDP founder and former Chief Minister late NT Rama Rao, is now all set to contest from Visakhapatnam seat on BJP ticket.

Meanwhile, sources in the State BJP have indicated that a few more prominent leaders from Seemandhra region are likely to join the party.