Two former MLAs of YSRCP quit party

Avanti Srinivas, who was also a former minister in YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cabinet, held a press conference at his residence in Visakhapatnam on Thursday morning to announce his resignation.

In yet another setback to the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh, two of its former MLAs – Muttamsetti Srinivas Rao alias Avanti Srinivas from Bheemunipatnam and Grandhi Srinivas from Bhimavaram assembly constituencies – resigned from the party on Thursday.

Two former MLAs of YSRCP quit party

Avanti Srinivas, who was also a former minister in YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cabinet, held a press conference at his residence in Visakhapatnam on Thursday morning to announce his resignation.

“I have sent my resignation letter to party president Jagan Mohan Reddy and also general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy, who is in charge of the party in north Andhra. I thank Jagan for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of my constituency, but I want to keep away from active politics for some time and spend time with my family,” Avanti said.

The former minister, however, slammed Jagan for giving a call to the people to pull down the six-month-old Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government in the state. “Jagan should respect the people’s mandate. The public gave a verdict for a coalition to govern for five years. How can he target the government without giving it even six months’ time?” he asked.

Avanti said a party should function democratically and safeguard the interests of the workers who had faced difficulties for five years. “While sitting in Tadepalli, Jagan gives orders, but on the ground, workers are struggling,” he said.

He accused the leadership of making decisions based on directives from outsiders rather than local leaders. “During my tenure, I committed no corruption and did not encourage it. Leaders must fulfil the aspirations they had before assuming power to avoid issues,” he said.

Hours after Avanti resigned from the primary membership of the YSRCP, Grandhi too sent his resignation letter to the party president, people familiar with the matter said.

Grandhi Srinivas, who had defeated Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan from Bhimavaram in the 2019 assembly elections, however, did not disclose any reasons for his decision to quit the YSRCP.

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Who have quit YSRCP post-election:

Several senior leaders, including ex-MLAs and MPs have quit the YSRCP after the party’s debacle in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in May this year. They include: Rajya Sabha members Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, Beeda Mastan Rao and R Krishnaiah, former deputy chief minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas alias Alla Nani, former ministers Balineni Srinivas, Avanti Srinivas, Ravela Kishore Babu and Siddha Raghava Rao, former MLAs Samineni Udaya Bhanu and Grandhi Srinivas, ex-MLCs C Ramachandraiah and Md Iqbal and former Andhra Pradesh Mahila Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma.