As expected, the YSR Congress Party, which lost the recent assembly and Lok Sabha elections to the Telugu Desam Party-led National Democratic Alliance, is experiencing an exodus of its leaders in search of greener pastures.
Last week, Nellore Mayor Potluri Sravanthi and her husband Jayavardhan resigned from the YSRCP, claiming they had faced harassment and humiliation within the party.
They pledged their support to Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, who had left the YSRCP long ago and joined the Telugu Desam Party, eventually getting re-elected to the assembly.
Earlier, former minister and Dalit leader Ravela Kishore Babu, who had switched several parties before joining the YSRCP, also quit the party following its electoral defeat. He expressed his support for the TDP, believing it would do justice for the Dalits.
On Monday, it was the turn of former minister and senior YSRCP leader Siddha Raghava Rao to resign from the party. In a letter to party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Siddha stated he was leaving the party for personal reasons.
Siddha had been a long-time member of the TDP and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Ongole but lost to Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy. Within months, he shifted his allegiance to the YSRCP, apparently to protect his mining interests.
However, Siddha did not receive any recognition in the YSRCP and was not even given an MLA ticket in the recent elections. He wanted to contest from Darsi but was instead asked to contest the Ongole MP elections, which he politely declined.
Though he considered rejoining the TDP, there was no response from the party. As a result, he remained silent. However, within days of the TDP coming to power, he chose to quit the YSRCP.
According to sources, Siddha attempted to meet TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh but was unable to secure an appointment. Apparently, the TDP leadership is not keen on welcoming leaders who abandoned the party during its severe crisis.
Despite this, Siddha remains hopeful that he might gain entry into the TDP, as he is more interested in his business interests than in politics.
