Lawmaker Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, 40, on Tuesday, resigned from Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), saying he quit as he was asked to switch his constituency for the 2024 national polls. He is the third YSRCP Parliament member to quit the party since January 10.
Devarayalu, who represents Narsaraopet, told reporters he sent his resignation to chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. He added he was asked to opt for a different seat as the YSRCP was planning to replace him with an Other Backward Class candidate in Narasaraopet.
“There was a sort of uncertainty within the party for the last six months over my seat... I was under pressure to shift to another constituency. I was virtually pushed to a corner and had no option but to quit to end this uncertainty for which I was not responsible,” he said. Devarayalu said he is yet to decide his course of action and that he has no offer from any other party.
A YSRCP leader said Reddy finalised Nagarjuna Yadav’s name for the Narsaraopet seat. But he kept the decision under wraps following a request from the party’s assembly members from Narsaraopet to retain Devarayalu. “...he [Devarayalu] might join the Telugu Desam Party,” said the YSRCP leader, requesting anonymity.
On January 13, Vallabhaneni Balashowry (Machilipatnam) announced his resignation before meeting Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan and expressing his interest in joining the party. Sanjeev Kumar (Kurnool), who announced his resignation on January 10, said he could not do anything for his constituency’s development. Balashowry and Kumar were denied tickets for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
{{/usCountry}}On January 13, Vallabhaneni Balashowry (Machilipatnam) announced his resignation before meeting Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan and expressing his interest in joining the party. Sanjeev Kumar (Kurnool), who announced his resignation on January 10, said he could not do anything for his constituency’s development. Balashowry and Kumar were denied tickets for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
{{/usCountry}}Another Lok Sabha member Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (Ongole) was also likely to quit the party, which won 22 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, as he was unlikely to get a ticket.
Members of Parliament Gorantla Madhav (Hindupur) and Kotagiri Sridhar (Eluru) have also been denied tickets. The seats of Goddeti Madhavi (Araku), M V V Satyanarayana (Visakhapatnam), M Gurumurthy (Tirupati), Margani Bharat (Rajahmundry), Vanga Geetha (Kakinada) and N Reddappa (Chittoor) have been switched.