Amaravati, May 16 : Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Chairman on Thursday disqualified YSR Congress Party's MLC Janga Krishna Murthy for defection.

Chairman Koyye Moshenu Raju issued a notification disqualifying Murthy, who switched loyalties to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) last month.

The Council Chairman's action came three days after simultaneous elections to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha.

Murthy, who was also president of YSRCP's Backward Class (BC) wing, resigned from the primary membership of the party and the post after he was denied a ticket by the ruling party either for Assembly or Lok Sabha elections.

Murthy, a two-time MLA, had joined the TDP at a public meeting in Sattenapalli on April 6.

He was elected as MLA in 1999 and 2004 from Gurazala Assembly constituency in Palnadu district on a Congress ticket. He later switched over to the YSRC.

After defeat from the same constituency as YSRCP candidate in 2014, the party did not field him in 2019. He, however, was nominated to the Legislative Council.

Murthy was an aspirant for the party ticket from Gurazala in the recent elections but the YSRCP renominated sitting MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy.

Murthy was unhappy after his claim was also rejected for the Narasaraopet MP ticket. The YSRCP ignored him to field another BC leader and former minister P. Anil Kumar Yadav.

Earlier, Murthy was also a contender for the post of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) chairman, but the party chose Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakara Reddy.

/IANS