As the Andhra Pradesh state assembly elections approach in about eight to nine months. Yarlagadda Venkat Rao, a leader of the ruling YSR Congress party in the Gannavaram assembly constituency, Krishna district, has reportedly decided to leave the party.
Yarlagadda had been waiting for reassurance from the YSRCP leadership about his political future, including a party ticket from Gannavaram, but with no such commitment forthcoming, he seems to have decided to move to the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for the 2024 elections.
Facing time constraints, Yarlagadda appears to have quickly aligned himself with the TDP, receiving a positive response from the party leadership. His entry into the TDP coincides with Nara Lokesh’s ongoing padayatra (foot march), and he is anticipated to officially join the TDP during this event.
Yarlagadda aims to secure the TDP ticket to challenge incumbent MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi, who had switched from TDP to YSR Congress. In the 2019 elections, Yarlagadda lost to Vamsi by a narrow margin of 990 votes. Although Yarlagadda was appointed as the chairman of the KDCC Bank by Chief Minister Jagan, he reportedly felt discontented with the YSR Congress favoring Vamsi in the constituency.