GUNTUR: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Monday staged a sort of coup and grabbed the AP State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (APSHWCSL), well-known as Apco, as all the board of directors, including its chairman M Hanumantha Rao joined the ruling party.

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu himself visited the weavers town of Mangalagiri on Monday to officially welcome the Apco directors into his party.

Hanumantha Rao and 12 directors were elected on Congress symbol about two years ago and they have three more years of term left before facing another election. As there is no provision to nullify their election in the middle of the term, the ruling party decided to take them along and admitted them into the party.

Hanumantha Rao had served as minister in the YSR Reddy cabinet after winning the election from Mangalagiri assembly constituency in 2004. However, he was denied a ticket in the 2009 election. After patiently waiting for about four years, Hanumantha Rao got the chance to become Apco chairman in 2013 when Kiran Kumar Reddy was the CM.

The Apco chairman's post enjoys the cabinet rank. According to sources, Chandrababu Naidu agreed to admit Hanumantha Rao chiefly on the ground that he belongs to strong weaver community from Mangalagiri town, located close to the new capital city area.

The ruling party wants to keep all weaker sections in the capital city region in good humour so that its grand plans for capital city faces no opposition.

Hanumantha Rao reportedly had his own reasons for joining the ruling party. He feared a possible rebellion from the directors to unseat him and therefore switched loyalties.

In fact, admission of Hanumantha Rao and other directors of Apco would make AP's case strong to fight for its rightful share in the Apco assets during the bifurcation of the corporation.