Bye Bye Yanamala!

Yanamala Ramakrishnudu is one of the senior most Telugu Desam leaders. He has been by the side of chief Chandrababu Naidu probably for the last four decades. In TDP, Yanamala has received all sorts of recognition and the same way he worked for the party. But time and again Yanamala could not live up to the expectations of Chandrababu Naidu and so the TDP chief has reportedly decided to put Yanamala aside in the coming elections.

Apparently Yanamala is not showing any interest in contesting from his home constituency, Tuni and he is said to be repeatedly asking for Rajya Sabha seat. Considering a few other factors including Yanamala’s brother not able to get grip over the constituency, Chandrababu Naidu made up his mind to put Yanamala’s family aside in Tuni.

It is said that Chandrababu came to this decision after certain surveys predicted that Yanamala’s family has less chances in Tuni and people are least interested in them. In that order, there is talk that Tuni’s former MLA, Raja Ashok Babu, who has been in the Congress party for a long time, is likely to join Telugu Desam. Raja Ashok Babu, who is very popular among the Kshatriya community, recently met Chandrababu.

In the last two elections, YCP’s Dadisetty Raja won with a comfortable majority in Tuni. Moreover Raja is currently part of AP CM YS Jagan’s cabinet and he has full grip over the constituency, Tuni. In order to defeat Dadisetti Raja in the next polls, Chandrababu believes that TDP needs a person out of Yanamala’s family. Accordingly the name of Raja Ashok Babu came into picture.

Raja Ashok Babu won from Tuni on behalf of Congress party in 2009. As the Congress party bifurcated AP, he stayed away from contesting in 2014 but has been maintaining good rapport with Yanamala’s family. He also has a name of being a non-controversial person and holds good camaraderie with all the TDP leaders in the constituency.

Just when Chandrababu was looking for an alternative in Tuni, Raja Ashok Babu looked a better person in all angles and the TDP insiders opine that Raja Ashok Babu would certainly get a ticket in the 2024 elections.