Rebel MP quits YSR Congress Party

Amaravati: Rebel MP of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, on Saturday resigned from the primary membership of the party.

He sent his resignation letter to YSRCP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The Lok Sabha member from Narsapuram constituency wrote that the “chief minister’s multiple efforts to get him disqualified from parliamentary membership haven’t yielded desired results.

“However, every time you made an attempt, I also have equally made laudable, positive and even more powerful efforts working for my constituency and its holistic development as well its constituents at Narsapuram for the last 3.5 years despite of your hostility and malicious brutal acts to physically eliminate me,” wrote K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju.

“As the time has come for all of us to face the public probity and mandate, it will free both of us from this unsavoury association once for all,” he added.

Th rebel MP is likely to join the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and contest again from Narsapuram in the forthcoming elections.

The MP had said in January 2022 that if YSRCP fails to get him disqualified, he will resign and contest by-election.

K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, who was elected to Lok Sabha from Narsapuram on YSRCP ticket in 2019, raised the banner of revolt in 2020 by openly criticising the party policies.

In July, 2020, the YSRCP had submitted a disqualification petition against him to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

The party leaders had brought to the Speaker’s notice that the rebel MP had been making statements against the party. They said his conduct was highly questionable and he lost the moral right to continue as a member of the House representing the party.

The rebel MP was also accused of hobnobbing with the leaders of the opposition party and using unparliamentary language against Jagan Mohan Reddy and other party members.