It is quite common for political leaders who hold influential positions when their party is in power to quit the same party once it loses power. They often defect to other parties in an attempt to safeguard their political careers.
The YSR Congress Party, led by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, is witnessing a similar trend.
Several leaders, including four Rajya Sabha members, a few former MLAs, five MLCs, and even some former ministers, have resigned from the party.
Some left a few weeks before the elections, while others exited after the YSRCP’s defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Jagan doesn’t seem overly concerned about many of these political defectors, often referred to as “Aaya Rams and Gaya Rams,” believing there’s a good chance they might return if the party regains power.
However, there are a few leaders who were very close to Jagan and enjoyed significant influence during the YSRCP’s time in government.
He trusted them deeply and gave them considerable authority. Their decision to leave the party during a difficult phase is said to have personally hurt him.
Sources indicate that some of these leaders now regret their decision to leave Jagan and join other parties.
For instance, former minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy resigned from the party and joined the Jana Sena Party after the YSRCP’s electoral loss.
While YSRCP was in power, Balineni wielded significant influence in Prakasam district and served as a regional coordinator with key responsibilities.
However, his discontent over not being included in the state cabinet led him to distance himself from Jagan and eventually defect.
He reportedly believed that Pawan Kalyan’s influence would secure him a cabinet berth or an MLC position. But it is now said that he has realized Pawan Kalyan lacks the clout to sway Chandrababu Naidu.
As a result, Balineni finds himself sidelined in the new government and is reportedly regretting his departure from the YSRCP.
A similar story surrounds former MLA Samineni Udayabhanu, who has remained politically inactive and virtually invisible since leaving the YSRCP for the Jana Sena.
Former YSRCP general secretary and ex-Rajya Sabha MP V Vijay Sai Reddy, once seen as the party’s No. 2 leader, also resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the party, hoping for a prominent role in the BJP at the national level.
However, his move hasn’t paid off — there are reportedly no takers for him within the BJP, and he is now being forced into political retirement, knowing full well that Jagan is unlikely to accept him back into the YSRCP.
