YSR Congress Party spokesperson and Yerragondapalem MLA Tatiparthi Chandrasekhar. FB/TatiparthiChandrashekar
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

New Delhi:

YSRCP leader V Vijayasai Reddy on Saturday resigned as a member of Rajya Sabha and announced he was quitting politics due to “personal reasons”, the fourth party MP to short-terminate their terms in the Upper House since its rout in the 2024 Assembly elections.

He met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at his residence and submitted his resignation.

Reddy, a chartered accountant by profession who represented Andhra Pradesh in the House, later told reporters he still had three-and-half-years left in his second six-year term, but he was resigning due to personal reasons.

He said he would be focussing on agriculture and delivering guest lectures at universities henceforth.

“I have submitted my resignation to the vice president and the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and he has accepted it,” Reddy told reporters after meeting Dhankhar.

“I, hereby, voluntarily resign from my seat in the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect as a member representing Andhra Pradesh from the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress party (YSRCP). Requesting you to kindly accept my resignation,” his short resignation letter to the VP stated.

The Rajya Sabha later notified Reddy’s resignation.

“Shri V. Vijayasai Reddy, an elected Member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), representing the State of Andhra Pradesh, resigned his seat in the Rajya Sabha and his resignation has been accepted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha w.e.f, 25th January, 2025,” Rajya Sabha Secretary-General P C Mody said in the notification.

In a post on X, Reddy also shared pictures of his meeting with the vice president “Today, I submitted my resignation to the Hon’ble Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji. Hon’ble Chairman of Rajya Sabha is pleased to accept the resignation with immediate effect duly recording the proceedings,” he posted.

Reddy said that before accepting his resignation, the vice president asked him specifically what are the reasons he was submitting his papers, and if it was voluntary or is there any coercion or undue influence.

“I have explained to the chairman that my resignation is voluntary, spontaneous and there is no coercion, pressure or no undue influence and I have given my resignation only due to personal reasons,” he said.

Asked whether he had spoken to YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said, “Yes, I have spoken to my party president Jagan Mohan Reddy Garu yesterday. I have explained to him in detail the reasons why I have taken the decision to quit politics. And he has advised me not to do so.

“Despite the fact that he asked me not to do so, I have continued with my decision and I have submitted my resignation. And I will be quitting politics,” he added.

On his future plans, Reddy said his interests are is agriculture and giving guest lectures in various universities and sharing his knowledge with the youth and students.

“I am a chartered accountant and I have wide experience in capital markets and I have reasonably good experience in Parliament. The limited knowledge that I have gained in my 67 years of life, I would like to share it with others, because obtaining knowledge is one thing and giving knowledge to others is also equally important,” he said.

On the need for resigning now when he has some years of his term left, Reddy said, “I have sincerely felt that I am not in a position to do justice to the job that has been given to me by my party president and in the light of this I have submitted my resignation.” Reddy had announced on Friday that he would be resigning as Rajya Sabha MP and would be quitting politics.

This was his second term as Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh. He is the fourth YSRCP Rajya Sabha member to resign from the party after its rout in the 2024 Assembly elections.

YSRCP Rajya Sabha members M Venkata Ramana, B Mastan Rao Yadav and BC leader R Krishnaiah resigned in the recent past.

Krishnaiah and Yadav subsequently joined the BJP and TDP, respectively, and retained their seats in the Rajya Sabha by-elections.

After Reddy’s exit, the seat is expected to go to the ruling NDA in AP in the imminent by-election, owing to its overwhelming majority. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A former MLA from Andhra Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly damaging an Electronic Voting Machine unit during the elections in the state. Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, then MLA from YSR Congress, was arrested after the Andhra Pradesh High Court turned down his appeal for pre-arrest bail.

While hearing his appeal, the High Court said those entrusted with public office are expected to uphold exemplary standards of conduct.

The Election Commission had considered the incident not just a criminal act “but also an egregious attack on the democratic process,” and decided to take exemplary action, the Commission said in a statement.

On May 13, around 12.30 pm, Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy — who was the sitting MLA from Macherla assembly constituency — had entered a polling station with his supporters and vandalized an EVM and VVPAT machine. The incident was recorded in the web camera installed by the election authorities. The polling station was considered a critical polling station. Several incidents of violence were reported from the constituency the same day, with his direct and indirect involvement, the police said.

“EVMs are central to ensuring free and fair elections, which are the cornerstone of any democracy. Damaging these machines undermines the integrity of the electoral process, potentially disenfranchising voters and casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election results,” the Commission had said.

Deciding to take exemplary action, the Commission had ordered the arrest of the MLA.

A case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and the Representation of the Peoples Act 1951.

By that time Mr Reddy was on the run and was located only after he approached the court for bail to prevent arrest.

Pandalaneni Sivaprasad. Katari Jagadish. Anantha Lakshmi. Syed Anwar. Challa Eswari. These not-so familiar names are going to get a lot of spotlight. They are the working class people who have been named the star campaigners by the Jagan Reddy Mohan party for the elections, possibly a first anywhere.

“Amid a popular trend of enlisting film stars, celebrities, and influencers as star campaigners for political parties, the YSRCP has chosen an extraordinary path. A path that has not been attempted anywhere in the country before. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP President Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to make the common people of Andhra Pradesh his ‘Star Campaigners’ in the upcoming elections, marking a historic first in the country,” said the party in a statement.

The party has submitted a list of “12 commoners” to the Election Commission, designating them as YSRCP’s official ‘Star Campaigners’ for the upcoming polls, adding that they will represent the nearly five crore people of the state.

“It is the YSRCP’s belief that every person of the state is their ‘Star Campaigner.’ These individuals, hailing from humble backgrounds, will campaign for the party on ground and help propagate Jagan Mohan Reddy’s message till the last mile,” the party said, aiming to score a second term.

Out of the 12 star campaigners, 4 are homemakers, 2 are farmers, 1 is an auto driver, 1 a tailor, and 4 are former government volunteers.

Earlier while campaigning, Jagan Reddy called the common people his star campaigners and asked them to go to every house and highlight the good things done by his government.

The state will go to polls on May 13 for the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats. The votes will be counted on June 4.

A look at some of the star campaigners:

Pandalaneni Sivaprasad, from Avanigadda constituency, comes from a family of farmers.

Katari Jagadish, from Anakapalli constituency, runs a small roadside shop sewing seat covers for two-wheelers.

Anantha Lakshmi, representing Rajahmundry City Constituency, works at a clothing shop.

Syed Anwar, Nellore Rural, Nellore District, works as a government teacher.

Challa Eswari, from Mylavaram Constituency, works as a YSRCP government volunteer.

Pandalaneni Sivaprasad, from Avanigadda constituency, comes from a family of farmers.

Minister for Education Botcha Satyanarayana on October 27 said that the people would reject the TDP-Jana Sena Party alliance in the 2024 general elections as they were keen to support YSRCP which ensured livelihood, dignity and empowerment to backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and minorities and other marginalised sections of the society.
| Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

Minister for Education Botcha Satyanarayana on October 27 said that the people would reject the TDP-Jana Sena Party alliance in the 2024 general elections as they were keen to support YSRCP which ensured livelihood, dignity and empowerment to backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and minorities and other marginalised sections of the society.

Along with Ministers Budi Mutyala Naidu, and Meruga Nagarjuna, he addressed the press conference in Vizianagaram ahead of the Samajika Sadhikara Yatra to be held in Gajapathinagaram constituency. Mr. Satyanarayana alleged that former Chief Minister Chandrababu had cheated the A.P. people by not implementing TDP’s manifesto after assuming power in 2014.

He said that Mr. Babu was jailed by the court of law and TDP cannot blame the government for his imprisonment. He refuted the allegations of Chandra Babu’s wife Nara Bhuvaneswari who sought freedom for the people for YSRCP’s rule.

Mr. Satyanarayana said that she was holding meetings without any restrictions and it was indicating that freedom of speech was not curtailed by the administration. Deputy Speaker Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy, Bobbili MLA Sambangi Venkata China Appala Naidu, S.Kota legislator Kadubandi Srinivasa Rao, YSRCP North Andhra coordinator Y.V. Subba Reddy, Vizianagaram Zilla Parishad chairperson Majji Srinivasa Rao and others were present.