Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In a significant blow to the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), two of its Rajya Sabha MPs have resigned from both the party and their positions in the Upper House. Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has accepted their resignations, according to sources cited by the news agency PTI.
The two MPs, Mopidevi Venkataramana and Beda Mastan Rao, are expected to join the N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which recently emerged victorious in the Andhra Pradesh elections held alongside the general elections. Venkataramana’s term in the Rajya Sabha was set to expire in June 2026, while Rao’s tenure was until June 2028.
These resignations reduce YSRCP’s representation in the Rajya Sabha to nine MPs, with four members remaining in the Lok Sabha. The potential switch of these MPs to TDP is a significant development for the party, as it would regain representation in the Rajya Sabha, where it has not held a seat since 2019.
Beda Mastan Rao, who previously represented Andhra Pradesh’s Kavali constituency under the TDP banner from 2009 to 2014, joined YSRCP in 2019. Mopidevi Venkataramana, a former Congress member and two-time MLA, served as a state minister under Jagan Mohan Reddy’s late father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
These defections mark a new challenge for Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, which has been grappling with an exodus of leaders following a poor performance in the recent elections. With only four Lok Sabha seats and a dwindling presence in the Rajya Sabha, YSRCP’s influence in national politics appears to be diminishing.
This shift also bodes well for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which recently secured a majority in the Rajya Sabha. If Venkataramana and Rao join TDP, it could further bolster NDA’s numbers, aiding the passage of key legislation in the Upper House.
