Sudha Rani and her husband lobbied Srinivasa Rao being renominated from the S Kota seat. She changed parties as they felt unheeded.
Published Mar 04, 2024 | 11:03 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 04, 2024 | 11:04 PM
File photo of Sudha Rani with husband Indukuri Raghu Raju. (Supplied)
In what should come as yet another jolt to the YSRCP, MLC Indukuri Raghu Raju’s wife Sudha Rani joined the TDP on Monday, 4 March.
Her induction into the main Opposition party of Andhra Pradesh happened in the presence of party general secretary Nara Lokesh at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s Undavalli residence near Vijayawada.
Raghu Raju is an MLC from a Local Authorities Constituency, with an affiliation to the YSRCP.
More than 100 YSRCP leaders — including 15 sarpanches and 17 MPTCs — joined the TDP Along with Sudha Rani.
Lokesh welcomed them into the party fold by draping them with the party’s kanduvas (upper cloth worn around one’s neck).
Lokesh said that the doors of the TDP would remain open for those who wanted to work for the future of the state.
He advised the seniors in Vizianagaram — particularly in the S Kota Assembly segment — to show an accommodative spirit and welcome the new entrants.
Those who joined the party included S Kota MPP Sandhi Someshwara Rao and MPTCs L Lakshmi, Mopda Gowri Eeshwari, Dara Giri, and Majji Devi.
Sudha Rani on Monday came down heavily on YSRCP MLA Kadubandi Srinivasa Rao for his thirst for land. He had converted the entire constituency into a “kabja kota,” she said.
Her husband and she had lobbied against the YSRCP renominating Srinivasa Rao for the S Kota seat. She decided to change her loyalty to the TDP as their pleas got nowhere.
Sudha Rani said: “No one can lead a life of dignity in the constituency. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy never bothered about our problems. We have decided that the development was possible only with the Telugu Desam Party.”
She added: “We will work for the victory of the TDP in the upcoming Assembly elections.”
Indukur Raghu Raju, who is considered an important leader aligned with Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, had been feeling ill at ease with serious differences cropping up between him and his group with the MLA, which led to his wife leaving the party for the TDP along with the entire flock owing allegiance to her and her husband.
Botsa is understood to be worried over the exit of Sudha Rani and her group as S Kota is part of the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency, from where Botsa’s wife Jhansi is contesting the election.
