It is quite common for political leaders to switch parties following a change in electoral fortunes.
While some manage to retain their influence even after defecting — thanks to their strategic maneuvering — many others fade into obscurity after crossing over.
Take, for example, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao from Bheemili. He began his political career with the TDP in 2004 but later defected to the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), founded by megastar Chiranjeevi.
Subsequently, he joined the Congress along with Chiranjeevi and other PRP leaders and even served as a minister in the Kiran Kumar Reddy cabinet. Eventually, he returned to the TDP and was re-elected twice.
Thanks to his political acumen, Ganta managed to maintain his prominence within the party in the Visakhapatnam district, even though he did not secure a cabinet position this time.
However, the same cannot be said for many YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders who defected after party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy lost power.
With the exception of a few, like Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy — who enjoy significant financial backing — most of those who switched to the TDP or Jana Sena Party have lost their political relevance.
Consider the case of former Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy, who was effectively the No. 2 in the YSRCP during Jagan's tenure as Chief Minister.
After resigning from the party in January this year, he has become politically irrelevant. Though he attempted to join the BJP, his efforts were unsuccessful. He is now reportedly spending his time on agricultural pursuits.
Similarly, former Rajya Sabha member Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao, who resigned from the YSRCP and joined the TDP, was expected to be made an MLC. However, there has been no progress, and he has largely been forgotten.
Former minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, once a dominant figure in Prakasam district politics under the YSRCP, has also lost significance after joining the Jana Sena Party, where he holds little sway.
Another example is Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, also known as Alla Nani, a once-powerful leader in Eluru who served as Deputy Chief Minister under Jagan. After switching to the TDP, he too has seen a decline in political relevance.
Several other leaders — such as Grandhi Srinivas, Samineni Udaya Bhanu, Adari Anand, Marri Rajasekhar, and Vasireddy Padma — who quit the YSRCP have similarly faded from the political landscape.
