Newsmaker | Another YSRCP MP quits, fires ‘Mahmud of Ghazni’ barb at Jagan Mohan Reddy in parting shot

Raju joins a list of YSRCP MPs who have recently quit the party. Since January, Lok Sabha MPs Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu (Narasaraopet), Vallabhaneni Balashowry (Machilipatnam) and Sanjeev Kumar (Kurnool) have quit the party and resigned from Parliament reportedly over being asked to change constituencies. Rajya Sabha MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy too has quit the party citing “personal reasons”. However, speculation is rife that he may cross over to the TDP and be nominated from the Nellore Lok Sabha seat.

ముఖ్యమంత్రి @ysjagan గారికి నా బై బై, పొడిచిన సంపూర్ణ పొత్తు – సాక్షి ఎత్తులు చిత్తు, @JaiTDP – @JanaSenaParty లు ప్రకటించిన ఉమ్మడి అభ్యర్థుల జాబితాపై సకల శాఖా మంత్రి సజ్జల రామకృష్ణా రెడ్డి చేసిన వ్యాఖ్యలు, మళ్ళీ మీకు ఓటు ఎందుకు వేయాలి అంటూ జగన్ మోహన్ రెడ్డి గారికి సామాన్య ప్రజలు… pic.twitter.com/EoPUXT90A6

— K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju (@RaghuRaju_MP) February 24, 2024

Raju, who holds a Master’s degree in Pharmacy from Andhra University, quit the YSRCP in 2014 after being denied a ticket ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that year and joined the BJP. But he returned just ahead of the 2019 elections and defeated his nearest rival Kalvapudi Siva of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) by 30,000 votes.

Within a few months of being elected to the Lok Sabha, Raju fell out with the CM whom he accused of being autocratic and not allowing party MLAs and MPs to function. His relations with Jagan soured after he faced flak from the latter’s followers on social media. He also accused senior party leader and Jagan’s advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy of instigating people against him.

Following the tensions, the Narasapuram MP again lashed out at Jagan for converting all Telugu-medium government schools into English medium and alleged rampant corruption in the YSRCP government’s welfare schemes. Raju also targeted the Jagan government for taking “only cash” at alcohol stores.

His rebellion and constant attacks on Jagan prompted the YSRCP to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking his disqualification. Raju then shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the CM of promoting Christianity and violating the Constitution.

“In Andhra Pradesh, constructive destruction of the Hindu temples is happening. There should be a Dharmik or Hindu commission, in line with Christian minorities or Muslim minorities to address the issues. Though we are the majority, we are being treated like a minority,” he said at the time.

Alleging changing of rules in Tirupati where the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board had reportedly waived declaration for non-Hindus, he said, “For the sake of one individual, they are changing the rules which have been in place for ages. Only the Karma Yogi, our honourable Prime Minister, shall address this issue.” Raju also accused the CM of promoting conversion in lieu of political appointments and a quota in education and jobs.

Things went from bad to worse between the Narasapuram MP and the YSRCP in May 2021 after the former was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly promoting enmity between communities through “hate speeches”. The arrest came a month after Raju filed a plea in a special CBI court in Hyderabad that is hearing a quid pro quo case against Jagan, seeking the cancellation of bail granted to the CM. He alleged Jagan violated bail conditions and could influence witnesses in the case. Recently, the court has sought the response of the CBI and the Andhra CM to the plea.

Ending his association with the party, Raju wrote, “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 and for all.’’