The trust vote in Parliament on Tuesday dealt a double blow to Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu [Images], with two party members defying the party whip and voting for the United Progressive Alliance.
An angry Telugu Desam party has decided to expel both the errant MPs.
While liquor baron and the Chittoor MP Aadikesavulu Naidu was expected to vote for the UPA, the TDP was shocked when Nagarkurnool MP M Jaganatham also voted for the UPA.
M Jagannatham, a Dalit leader, is a third time member of Lok Sabha and was believed to be a staunch follower of Naidu.
According to TDP sources, TDP leader in Parliament K Yerran Naidu was confident that Jagnatham would follow the party whip. Yerran Naidu and another member E Dayakar Rao had focussed their attention completely on Aadikesavulu Naidu, who had indicated that he would vote for the UPA.
Sources said that Aadikesavulu Naidu met Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday afternoon and struck a deal with the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.
Aadikesavulu Naidu, whose Chittoor constituency has been declared as reserved for a Scheduled Caste candidate, has decided to join Chiranjeevi's [Images] party.
"This is biggest treachery we have seen. The party will take strong action against them," said a senior TDP leader.
But it was celebration time for Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, as the trust vote had weakened the TDP.