Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu, who had announced his plans to enter politics, is keeping political parties in the two Telugu states guessing about his next move. Speculation is rife that Rayudu, who announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May this year, might join the Congress in Telangana or the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh. In Telangana, it is believed that former Indian captain and Telangana Congress working president Mohammed Azharuddin is reportedly holding talks with Rayudu. The cricketer also met AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy last month, setting-off speculation that he may join the YSRCP as well.
Earlier, Rayudu had praised Jagan Mohan Reddy through a tweet. Reacting to Reddy's speech at a meeting, the former Chennai Super Kings player said: "Great speech ..our chief minister@ysjagan garu.. everyone in the state has complete belief and trust in you sir.."
YSRCP leaders from AP believe Rayudu is expected to join their fold. It may also be noted that his distant relative Ambati Rambabu, is a cabinet minister in the Andhra government.
"The YSRCP is waiting for a decision. The cricketer is a native of Guntur in AP, and his uncle is Ambati Rambabu. These are the two factors that are keeping Rayudu on it. They don't want to make it official yet. I don't think he is interested in joining Congress as he has made efforts to meet Jagan himself. He is more like an influencer for the Kapu community (to which Rayudu belongs to)," said a YSRCP functionary from AP who did not want to be named.
In Andhra Pradesh, caste divisions run very deep. Both the ruling YSRCP and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) often rope in influencers to sway caste groups.
The 37-year-old, who was playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), announced on May 28 that he is retiring from IPL. The announcement came on the eve of the IPL 2023 final between the CSK and Gujarat Titans. He scored 19 off 8 deliveries in his last appearance and signed off on a happy note as his team bagged the fifth title with last ball victory over Gujarat Titans.
According to Congress sources, the party leadership has given Azharuddin, a former MP, the task of holding talks with Rayudu and to invite him to join the party. The party is reportedly planning to offer him a ticket for the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat.
The Malkajgiri constituency comprises suburbs of Hyderabad, and has a sizeable number of voters from Andhra Pradesh who have settled in those areas. It is also the largest seat in terms of voters, which stands at close to 30 lakh. The constituency is currently represented by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy, who is likely to contest the upcoming Assembly elections that are scheduled to be held later this year.
Congress leaders feel that Rayudu, who hails from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, will get the support of settlers. The constituency also has a good number of voters from Kapu community, to which Rayudu belongs.
"As elections are nearby, the party has asked its leaders to bring in anyone who is willing to support Rahul Gandhi. If there are reasonable demands, then we will take those into consideration. As of now, Rayudu's joining is not confirmed," said a Congress leader from Hyderabad, who did not want to be named.
In an interview with The Hindu in April this year, Rayudu said that educated youngsters should enter politics to make a difference and that the “ thought has pushed” him to decide to enter politics. The cricketer also said that some parties sent him “feelers”, and that he would announce his decision later.
Rayudu played for India in 55 ODIs between 2014 and 2019, and six international T20 matches, and scored 1,694 runs, including three centuries and 10 fifties. He has appeared in 190 matches for CSK and Mumbai Indians in the IPL. His disputes with a fellow teammate and the nepotism-rife management during his young days earned him the tag of a rebel, and denied him further international opportunities, including the ODI World cup.
He was one of the rebel players who latched at the opportunity to play for ICL, before accepting a domestic amnesty offer from the BCCI and entered the IPL, and later, played for India in international cricket.
Rayudu, whenever he announces his decision, will join a rare bandwagon of Indian cricketers who entered politics, including the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Kirti Azad, Azharuddin, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chetan Chauhan and Gautam Gambhir.
(With IANS inputs)