Hyderabad, Jul 6 (IANS): Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Bhaskar Rao on Saturday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rao, who was not active in politics for a long time, was formally welcomed into the party by BJP President Amit Shah at a meeting organized to launch the party's membership drive here.

He had been Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for a month in 1984. Then a cabinet minister in Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao's cabinet, he had successfully led a coup when the latter had gone to the US for heart surgery.

Bhaskar Rao later joined the Congress but was not active in politics for a long time.

Along with Bhaskar Rao, former minister Peddi Reddy, former MPs Rammohan Reddy and Suresh Reddy, former MLA Sashidhar Reddy, film producer Bellamkonda Ramesh, retired IAS official Chandravadan and others joined BJP.

Amit Shah, during his speech, dismissed criticism for admitting leaders from other parties into BJP. He said all parties had good people and all good people were coming together under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.