VIJAYAWADA: Rebel YSRC MP from Narasapuram K Raghurama Krishna Raju has found himself in a fix with both the BJP and TDP denying him a ticket to contest the elections. He is a vocal critic of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his government policies.
Raju started his political stint with the YSRC, but quit the party as he could not get the party ticket to contest the 2014 elections. He joined the BJP and later switched to the TDP only to return back to the YSRC in 2019. He contested the last elections from Narasapuram Lok Sabha constituency on YSRC ticket and won with a majority of more than 31,000 votes.
He had developed differences with the YSRC leadership in November 2019 and strongly criticised Jagan’s initiative to introduce English medium in government schools. Raju was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on charges of sedition for ‘disturbing communal harmony’.
After parting ways with the YSRC, he moved closely with BJP leaders and aspired to contest the Lok Sabha elections this time on the saffron party ticket. The party, however, denied him a chance. Raju planned to shift his loyalties to the TDP and reportedly urged Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu to give Narasapuram MP seat. As the TDP and BJP are in alliance, Naidu denied him a ticket.