Former Team India cricketer Ambati Rayudu met actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday, four days after he resigned from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
Rayudu met the Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader at the party office at Mangalagiri in Guntur district amid speculations that he is planning to join the JSP.
The meeting lasted for more than an hour. Ten days after entering politics, Rayudu had announced his resignation from the ruling party on January 6. He had stated that he would stay out of politics for a while.
He had later posted on ‘X’ that he would be representing Mumbai Indians in the upcoming ILT20 from January 20 in Dubai, which requires him to be politically non-affiliated whilst playing professional sport.
Rayudu had joined Andhra Pradesh’s ruling party on December 28 and YSRCP President and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had welcomed him into the fold.
It was in April this year that the stylish middle-order batsman had decided to enter politics and declared that he wanted to serve the people. There was a buzz in political circles that the cricketer, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, may contest Andhra Pradesh Assembly or Lok Sabha polls, slated to be held in April-May.
Pawan Kalyan has already announced that JSP will contest the polls in alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Rayudu played for India in 55 ODIs between 2014 and 2019, and six international T20 matches, and scored 1,694 runs, including three centuries and 10 fifties. Rayudu announced his retirement from the IPL in May after CSK won the 2023 tournament.