In a major setback for the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), Rajya Sabha MPs Mopidevi Venkataramana and Beeda Mastan Rao resigned from the Upper House on Thursday and likely to join the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The two leaders submitted their resignations to Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar in New Delhi.
Mopidevi and Mastan Rao stated that they wish to work under the leadership of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for the development of Andhra Pradesh. The MPs recently met Naidu and expressed their willingness to join the TDP, marking a significant political shift, as per a report on IANS.
Reports suggest that the TDP may re-nominate Mastan Rao to the Rajya Sabha, while Mopidevi Venkataramana has agreed to join without any preconditions. The TDP, currently without representation in the Rajya Sabha, sees these resignations as an opportunity to re-enter the upper house through the upcoming by-elections.
The TDP holds 135 seats in the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly, with its allies Jana Sena and the BJP holding 21 and 8 seats, respectively.
Mopidevi Venkataramana, who served as a minister under both Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his son, current CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, was appointed to the Rajya Sabha in 2020 after being dropped from the cabinet. He had unsuccessfully sought a YSRCP ticket for his son in the recent elections, which may have contributed to his departure from the party, as per the report.
Mastan Rao, a former TDP MLA from Kavali, had joined the YSRCP in 2019 after the party's victory but was denied electoral success in his previous attempts. His decision to return to the TDP reflects growing discontent within the YSRCP ranks.
Reacting to the resignations, TDP leader and MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao described the YSRCP as a "sinking ship" and emphasized that any leader wishing to join the TDP must first resign from their current posts.