The ruling Telugu Desam Party of Andhra Pradesh succeded in attracting one more MlA of Opposition YSR Congress into its fold on Sunday.

Palaparthi David Raju, MlA from  Erragundapalem in Prakashm district met TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Vijayawada and announced his decision to join the TDP.

Naidu welcomed him by draping yellow bandana around his shoulder. David Raju is the sixth YSRCP MlA to defect to the ruling party in a week.

like his predecessors, David Raju also took the line that he was joining TDP to make his constituency a partner in the process of development. "Chief Minister has assured me to release Rs 4 crore to solve drinking water problem in my constituency", he said.

Senior TDP leaders including Naidu's son N lokesh were at work in different parts of Andhra Pradesh to encourage as many opposition MlAs to join their party as possible. Though YSRP president YS Jaganmohan Reddy was also holding discussions with the party MlAs and leaders to stem the tide, he has not been able to successful in countering the ruling party's offensive. Speculations were rife that many more of his MlAs were likely to go TDP way.

Defection of David Raju is a big setback for Jagan in Prakasham district. Even after assuring Jagan that he had no such plans David Raju went to Vijayawada this morning to join the TDP. Speculations were rife that at least three more MlAs of YSRCP from Prakasham were likely to join the TDP.

AP Unit president of TDP Kala Venkat Rao said that any body who wants to come into the party for development was welcome. "YSRCP MlAs are completely disheartened because of the behavior of Jaganmohan Reddy. The party has lost direction", he said.

On the other hand the TDP was likely to suffer more setback in Telangana. Having already lost ten of the 15 members of Telangana Assembly to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti, TDP was on the verge of extinction as three more MlAs were likely to defect to the TRS, sources said.

TDP was presently left with only five MlAs with A Revanth Reddy as floor leader. But speculations suggest that three of them Sandra Venkata Veeraiah from Sattupally, Maganti Gopinath form Jubilee Hills and A Gandhi from Serilingampally were likely to jump the ship and join the TRS. In that case the TDP will left only with A Revanth Reddy as another MlA R Krishnaiah has decided to be an independent member.