As the elections to Andhra Pradesh state assembly just around eight to nine months away, ruling YSR Congress leader from Gannavaram assembly constituency in Krishna district Yarlagadda Venkat Rao is understood to have finally decided to call it quits to the party.
According to latest reports, Yarlagadda decided to jump into the opposition Telugu Desam Party for the 2024 elections.
“All these days, he has been waiting for some positive assurance from the YSRCP leadership on his political future, if not the party ticket from Gannavaram,” sources said.
He was expected that party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would call him for a compromise and offer him at least an MLC seat.
But since there was no such assurance from the boss, there is no point in continuing in the party, sources said.
Since Yarlagadda is running short of time, he has to take a quick decision on his future plans.
“There is no other option but to join the TDP. He reportedly sent feelers to the TDP leadership and got the green signal,” sources said.
Yarlagadda’s entry into the TDP is likely to happen at a time when the ongoing padayatra of Nara Lokesh, party general secretary and son of party president N Chandrababu Naidu, enters NTR district on August 19.
“He is expected to make huge arrangements for the padayatra and join the party during the yatra,” sources said.
Yarlagadda is hopeful of getting the TDP ticket to contest against sitting MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi who had defected from the TDP to the YSR Congress and is going to be the party candidate in the next election.
Yarlagadda lost the seat to Vamsi in 2019 by a margin of just 990 votes. He contested as YSR Congress candidate and secured 1,02,714 votes, while TDP nominee Vamsi secured 1,03,704 votes.
When Vamsi joined the YSR Congress, Venkatrao protested over his admission. It was then chief minister Jagan nominated him as the chairman of the KDCC Bank.
However, it is said that he is not happy with the YSR Congress giving priority to Vamsi in the constituency.