In a big setback to the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP, two Rajya Sabha MPs have resigned from the party and their membership in the Upper House. Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar has accepted their resignation, news agency PTI has said, quoting sources.
The two YSRCP MPs are Mopidevi Venkataramana and Beda Mastan Rao. While Mr Venkataramana's term in Rajya Sabha was till June 2026, Mr Rao's was till June 2028. Both are likely to join the N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP, which swept the Andhra Pradesh elections that were held alongside the general election this year. The two leaders recently met TDP chief and Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Following these exits, YSRCP has nine MPs in the Upper House and four in the Lok Sabha. The two MPs who quit today are likely to be re-inducted as Rajya Sabha MPs, this time from TDP. This is also good news for TDP because it will reopen its account in the Upper House, where it has not had a seat since 2019.
Mr Rao was earlier with the TDP and represented Andhra's Kavali constituency from 2009 to 2014. In 2019, he joined the YSRCP. Mr Venkataramana, on the other hand, was with the Congress. He is a two-time MLA who has served as a state minister in the government of Jagan Mohan Reddy's father, late YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
The exits are a fresh blow to Jagan Mohan Reddy's party that has been struggling to check an exodus of leaders in the aftermath of the poll setback. Managing just four Lok Sabha seats this time and its Rajya Sabha strength dropping, YSRCP's influence in Delhi is on the wane.
As for the larger picture, this is good news for the BJP. The NDA recently touched the majority mark in the Upper House and this will help them ensure passage of key legislation. If these two MPs switch to TDP, NDA's numbers will be bolstered further.