Ten days after joining the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh, former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu announced that he has decided to quit the party and stay away from politics for a while. On January 6, Saturday, the former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player said that “further action will be conveyed in due course of time.”
Rayudu joined YSRCP on December 28, 2023, in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. In June 2023, he announced that he planned to retire from cricket and enter politics soon. He had even toured parts of his native Guntur district to understand people’s issues. He also met CM Jagan which had given rise to speculations that he would join the YSRCP.
Rayudu’s rapid exit comes amid YSRCP’s reshuffling of in-charges for Assembly and parliamentary constituencies, ahead of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections this year. In December 2023, YSRCP announced in-charges for 11 constituencies, replacing the incumbent MLAs based on their performance. Changes were made mainly in the erstwhile Guntur district. A second list was announced on January 2, another 27 names were announced. These constituency in-charges are expected to also be fielded from those segments.
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In the months before joining YSRCP, Rayudu had actively participated in party programmes. In December, Rayudu and several other sportspersons were appointed as brand ambassadors for the Adudam Andhra state sports festival. Rayudu, who belongs to the Kapu community (whose community leaders have been demanding Backward Class status), also participated in an outreach programme for Kapus in the Tenali constituency of Guntur district in December.