In a shock to TRS, actor-turned-politician P Babu Mohan on Saturday joined BJP after he was denied ticket to contest ensuing Telangana Assembly elections.
The former Andhra Pradesh minister formally joined Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of BJP's national president Amit Shah in New Delhi. BJP's Telangana unit president K Laxman and other leaders were also present.
P Babu Mohan's did not figure in the list of 105 candidates announced by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao after dissolving the state assembly on September 6.
Ever since he was denied ticket, P Babu Mohan had distanced himself from TRS. BJP is likely to field him from Andole in the coming elections.
In 2014, P Babu Mohan was elected on TRS ticket from Andole constituency in Medak district. This time the TRS has announced journalist Kranti Kiran as its candidate from this constituency.
The veteran actor, known for comedy roles in Telugu films, entered politics by joining TDP in 1990s. He was first elected from Andole in 1998 by-elections and retained the seat in 1999.
He served as minister for labour in Chandrababu Naidu's cabinet in the then unified Andhra Pradesh.
He lost the election from the same constituency in 2004 and 2009. In 2014, he quit TDP to join TRS.
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