Following the humiliating defeat of the YSR Congress party in the last assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, several senior party leaders exited the party, with some joining coalition partners.
However, many of them are yet to secure significant political roles. Leaders such as Mopidevi Venkata Ramana and Alla Nani, who joined the TDP, and Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, who moved to Jana Sena, have not been assigned major responsibilities so far.
Some other leaders, who quit the YSRCP, are not able to get entry into the other parties in the coalition. One such leader is former minister Avanti Srinivas, whose political affiliation remains unclear.
Avanti, who began his political career with Praja Rajyam, later won as a TDP MP, joined the YSRCP ahead of the 2019 elections, and subsequently became a minister after winning from Bheemunipatnam.
He later lost his ministerial berth during a cabinet reshuffle and was defeated in the 2024 elections by his former associate Ganta Srinivasa Rao.
Since distancing himself from the YSRCP, Avanti has made sharp comments on the party’s internal functioning.
For several months, speculation has been rife that he may join the Jana Sena Party. However, this appears increasingly unlikely.
Sources indicate that both Visakhapatnam TDP leaders and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan are not keen on Avanti’s induction.
Jana Sena leaders have pointed out that Avanti had earlier made critical remarks against Pawan Kalyan while serving as a minister.
Additionally, senior TDP leaders have reportedly expressed strong objections to allowing him back into the coalition fold.
Despite having his daughter resign as a corporator during the no-confidence motion against the YSRCP mayor, Avanti continues to face trust issues within coalition circles.
With no clear political opening, he has chosen to maintain silence and is said to be waiting until after the municipal elections to take a final call.
He is said to be sending feelers to the YSRCP leadership that he is willing to return to the party.
So far, he has not got any response from YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, leaving Avanti’s political future in a state of uncertainty.