In a setback to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), ruling party MLA from Giddalur, Anna Rambabu, on Wednesday announced his decision to quit active politics ahead of next year’s elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Assembly.
Addressing the media at Markapur town in Prakasam district, Mr. Rambabu said he took the decision due to health reasons. ‘’I will not contest the coming elections either from Giddalur or from any other Assembly constituency,” he said. He also ruled out joining any other party.
Dissatisfaction with party
However, Mr. Rambabu expressed dissatisfaction over the style of functioning of the party high command. He was upset with ‘groupism’ in the party, according to sources close to the MLA. He wanted the party leaders to bury their hatchet at least now and work unitedly for the party’s victory in the elections.
Mr. Rambabu was in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections in 2014. He joined the YSRCP just before the 2019 Assembly elections after the sitting YSRCP MLA M. Ashok Reddy switched over to the TDP.
Mr. Rambabu enjoys the distinction of winning the 2019 Assembly election with the second highest margin of over 80,000 votes after Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Earlier, he was a member of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) floated by actor-politician Chiranjeevi and represented Giddalur in the State Assembly in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
The YSRCP, which had won eight of the 12 Assembly seats in undivided Prakasam district, has a tough task ahead of the 2024 elections with faction feuds raging in at least three Assembly constituencies, including Kondepi and S.N. Padu. The party has deputed two Ministers — A. Suresh and M. Nagarjuna — as party in-charges of the SC reserved constituencies to stem the rot and improve the party’s prospects in the coming elections.
Mr. Rambabu, whose constituency of Giddalur comes under Ongole Lok Sabha constituency, alleged that its MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy was indifferent to the development of the backward constituency and wanted the party leadership to not give the party ticket to the MP in the coming elections.
