Interview: Narasapuram rebel YSRCP MP talks on conflict with Jagan, Tollywood and fight for AP's progress

Hyderabad: Kanumuru Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, the industrialist-turned-politician, is known for his satirical comments against his own YSRC party and its leaders. Raju, who is popularly known as RRR, shared a close bond with the late CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy. He entered politics in Andhra Pradesh through YSR’s son Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, YSRCP.

However, when differences emerged with Jagan, Raju found himself gravitating towards the BJP in the run-up to the 2014 elections. Hurt by not being offered an MP ticket from the BJP, he joined the TDP after the elections. In a twist, Raju returned to his debut party YSRCP, contested as a Narasapuram MP and won in the 2019 elections.

In just a year, yet again, the MP has strained his relationship with CM YS Jagan. This time he didn’t hold back, he openly criticised Jagan for many decisions including the three capitals plan. Not stopping there, he even met top BJP leaders and raised his concerns about the alleged corruption by Jagan. The YSRCP has reacted and issued him a show-cause notice, pointing to his anti-party activities. However, he has not been suspended yet, but YSRCP has asked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to disqualify him, which is still pending.

Escalating the fight even further, in 2021, the rebel MP requested the CBI court to revoke the bail that had been granted to CM Jagan in a long-pending disproportionate assets case dating back to 2012. Just a few weeks later, the MP was arrested by AP CID on sedition charges for hate speeches towards the government. However, he was released later on bail by Supreme Court. He alleged ill-treatment by the AP CID.

Recently, he has been making headlines again for his political moves. He accompanied TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu on his Delhi visit to meet Amit Shah, and he also met JSP leader Pawan Kalyan. In an interview with NewsMeter, YSRCP rebel MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju speaks on why he revolted against YSRCP and predicts the forthcoming Andhra elections.

Excerpts from the interview

Q. Why did you join the YSRCP in 2019, and what led you to criticise your party chief YS Jagan later? Where did things go wrong?

A. I joined the YSRCP before the polls, but I had differences with Jagan within three months. I then chose to join the BJP, but I lost the ticket to my uncle, former MP Gokaraju. Later, I joined the TDP with the intention of contesting the 2019 elections. However, the TDP delayed announcing the tickets, and I requested them to do so sooner. The YSRCP approached me several times during this time, and I was ready to accept their offer as the TDP did not announce the tickets. I believed that Jagan had changed after seeing him on the padayatra, but he showed his true colours after winning the 2019 elections.

Q. Why have you not been suspended from the party despite your criticism of AP CM Jagan, especially when four MLAs who were accused of cross-voting with the TDP have been suspended? Why are you so special?

A. I was totally surprised to see that the four YSRCP MLAs were suspended for cross-voting in the Assembly quota MLC elections. I had expected that I would be suspended first. It has been 39 months, but I have not been suspended yet. There is a talk that Jagan is not suspending me because he believes that I might be inducted into the Central Cabinet as an independent MP if he does.

Q. How do you see AP CM Jagan’s welfare pitch? He has implemented numerous welfare schemes in the state, and he is confident of winning the next elections with the ‘why not 175’ slogan.

A. I believe that the TDP, JSP, and BJP alliance will win 135 seats in the upcoming elections. I think the Jagan who is pitching the ‘why not 175’ slogan is mentally imbalanced, because no political party has ever won all seats in any elections since independence. This is sheer madness, and it may be a sign that he is afraid of losing the elections.

Q. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan has been supporting you in many instances, and you recently met with him. What did you discuss?

A. I cannot reveal the details of the meeting, but I believe that all parties should form an alliance. With this, you can interpret what happened in the meeting.

Q. You have good relations with many filmmakers in the Telugu film industry. There has been a cold war between the TFI and the AP government over ticket prices. Has any filmmaker ever reached out to you to share their grievances?

A. They are praying to get rid of the cruel nature of CM Jagan. Explaining a stone is much easier than explaining Jagan’s evil. He offers movie tickets at low prices to those he doesn’t like, citing that entertainment should be affordable. In the same month, if a movie is released by a film star who is close to him, he offers tickets at high prices, citing that his welfare schemes have made people rich. He is consistently inconsistent.

Q. Why have you not visited your own constituency in the past three years?

A. The CID beat me cruelly, as confirmed by the Secundrabad Military Hospital. The YSRCP filed 18 cases against me. Jagan is afraid of my entry into the state, as a large number of people are awaiting my arrival. In fact, he did not fail me but helped me to succeed more by reaching more homes. I see it as a blessing in disguise and I have been able to make the most of the opportunity in this crisis.

Q. What have you done to fight for the state’s interests such as special status, Polavaram, and the privatisation of VSP?

A. I am in touch with the Central government on the issues of the Visakhapatnam Railway Zone, the Polavaram project, and also on the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant privatisation issue. These are all Parliament acts and I am requesting their fulfilment. Special category status is a political promise, not an act. The CBI cases of CM YS Jagan are coming in the way and preventing him from demanding the Central government.