TDP MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi quits politics alleging harassment from YSRCP

Vallabhaneni Vamsi, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA of the Gannavaram Assembly constituency quit the party and tendered his resignation as a legislatore on Sunday. In his registration letter to the TDP leadership, Vami cited the YSRCP's alleged vindictive politics as the reason behind the resignation. The resignation comes nine days after Andhra Pradesh police registered a cheating case against him.

The MLA had on Friday met with the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at his residence reportedly to discuss issues of his constituency. On Sunday, the legislator sent a letter to the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu informing him that he intends to quit politics to "safeguard" the public from friction between the two rival parties.

In his letter to Chandrababu Naidu, Vamsi wrote, "Having been elected again as a legislator, me, my associates and followers are in neck-deep troubles due to the vindictive attitude of local YSRCP in charge and partisan attitude of some government employees. I sincerely feel and believe that their problems will be compounded multiple times due to me, being at the helm of affairs...Hence, I have decided to restrain myself and quit from politics to at least to safeguard them, by reducing unnecessary friction and unwarranted animosity. So I hereby tender my resignation for the post of member of the legislative assembly and primary membership of TDP party."

Nine days before his resignation, the legislator was booked by the Hanuman junction police for distributing house sites with the forged signature of the tahsildar on land registration documents. He was accused of giving these documents to the public in exchange for votes. The legislator has denied having committed any wrongdoing. The complaint was given by the Bapulapadu mandal Tahsildar, Narasimha Rao.

With his resignation, the strength of TDP in the AP Assembly drops from 23 to 22.

The resignation of Vamsi and his meet with Jagan had given rise to the speculation that he would be joining the YSRCP. However, speaking to India Today reporter Ashish Pandey the Gannavaram constituency in-charge for the YSRCP, Yarlagdda Venkat Rao, denied that the party would induct Vamsi into the party. The leader who lost the Assembly Elections in May to Vamsi alleged that TDP leader had been harassing the YSRCP party workers for five years before the YSRCP came to power.