Mopidevi set to quit YSRCP, join TDP

Guntur : In a major jolt to YSRCP, Rajya Sabha member and YSRCP Bapatla district president Mopidevi Venkata Ramana is said to be going to quit the party and join TDP very soon. He will submit his resignation from his Rajya Sabha membership and party primary membership on August 29, according to sources.

After that, he will join the TDP. He is said to have decided to shift the party vexed with the politics in the YSRCP.

He along with the minister for revenue, stamps and registration department AnaganiSatya Prasad met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at his residence at Undavalli on Tuesday and discussed the matter.The CM has already given his nod for him to jointhe TDP.

According to sources in YSRCP, the party high command fielded DrEvuri Ganesh from Repalle Assembly constituency in 2024 without informing him which irked Venkata Ramana.

He is scheduled to retire as Rajya Sabha member in June 2026. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu reportedly assured him to continue as Rajya Sabha member till the completion of his tenure by fielding him as party candidate. The CM also promised to give one Assembly ticket to his family to contest in in next elections. Either Venkata Ramana Rao or his son will contest for Assembly in the next polls.

Venkata Ramana contested from Repalle in 2019 Assembly elections but lost. Then chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy made him Cabinet minister for his loyalty after making him Legislative Council member.

When the Assembly passed a resolution to abolish the Legislative Council, YSRCP fielded him to the Rajya Sabha and he was elected.

He was the first minister arrested by the CBI in the VANPIC case under the Congress government in the united AP.

The development is said to be result of ‘Operation Akarsh’ launched by Chief Minister Chandrababu to woo YSRCP Rajya Sabha members. Following his advice, TDP leaders are in touch with other members Golla Babu Rao and R Krishnaiah. The TDP high command assured the YSRCP leaders that in the delimitation process scheduled in 2026, AP will get another 50 Assembly seats. The TDP leaders promised an Assembly seat to Golla Babu Rao and were ready to accept some of his demands, it is learnt.

The operation is aimed at achieving twin objectives of ensuring the presence for the party in Rajya Sabha where it has none now and weakening the YSRCP, thus demoralising Jagan Mohan Reddy, who recently flaunted his party’s 11-member strength in the Upper House.