The ruling YSR Congress MLAs from Andhra Pradesh are lining up at the Congress ahead of the 2024 general elections to the State Assembly.
It was Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy who left the party first and announced that he would go with Y S Sharmila, who joined the Congress. He said he would also join the Congress and contest as MLA candidate in the coming elections.
Now another MLA, Kapu Ramachandra Reddy from Rayadurg Assembly constituency is quitting the YSR Congress shortly. He will be joining the Congress some time this week. He met former APCC president, former minister, and Congress Working Committee Member N Raghuveera Reddy at his residence.
Raghuveera Reddy welcomed Ramachandra Reddy into the Congress. He had also promised Congress ticket for MLA seat to Ramachandra Reddy from Rayadurgam and his son Praveen from Kalyandurg Assembly constituency.
Sources say that Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu is also knocking at the Congress door. He was stripped off the constituency incharge post. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had appointed former minister and Vijayawada West Assembly constituency MLA Velampalli Srinivas as incharge for the Vijayawada Central seat. Vishnu is not happy with the development and is said to be planning to quit the party shortly.
Another MLA from Penamaluru, Kolusu Pardha Saradhi is also said to be leaving the party shortly. Though he met the chief minister and held talks with him two days ago, Saradhi is said to be disappointed with the party chief’s decision to deny ticket to him in this election.
Sources say that Saradhi had met the TDP leaders in his office in Vijayawada last night and held talks over changing the party. Sources indicate that Saradhi had made up his mind and decided to join the TDP in the presence of party chief N Chandrababu Naidu.
There are at least a dozen sitting MLAs who are looking at Jana Sena, TDP and Congress to contest the coming elections. All of them were denied tickets by Jagan Mohan Reddy and they are now planning to contest in some party or the other, sources said.