Another Jolt To Jagan Reddy: YSRCP's Two Rajya Sabha MPs Resign, Set To Join Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party

Two Rajya Sabha MPs of the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) have resigned from the party as well as given up their Upper House memberships to join the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

This is the latest setback for Reddy, who has been facing scrutiny for misusing public funds for personal leisure since his party lost power in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh (AP) assembly elections.

Since TDP came to power and Chandrababu Naidu became the Chief Minister of AP, many leaders are considering switching sides as per a TDP insider quoted by The Indian Express.

The resignations of Mopidevi Venkataramana and Beda Mastan Rao have reportedly been accepted by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. The TDP may send these leaders to the Rajya Sabha.

This will also give an opportunity to the TDP to open an account in the Rajya Sabha after 2019. Notably, Rao was with the TDP earlier and represented Andhra's Kavali constituency. He joined the YSRCP in 2019.

Another defector Venkataramana, was with the Congress earlier. He is a two-time MLA and has served as a state minister in the cabinet of Jagan Mohan Reddy's father, late YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

The YSRCP is now left with nine Rajya Sabha MPs and four Lok Sabha MPs. A few more MPs may leave the party to join the TDP or its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).