Vijayawada: After quitting YSRCP, cricketer Ambati Rayudu meets Pawan Kalyan; will he join Jansena?

Vijayawada: Cricketer Ambati Raydudu, who quit YSRCP a few days ago, set tongues wagging after he met Janasena Chief Pawan Kalyan in Guntur on Wednesday.

Whether he is joining Janasena or will contest the upcoming Andhra Pradesh elections remains shrouded in mystery.

On quitting YSRCP, Ambati Rayudu said he has to participate in the upcoming International League Twenty20 (ILT20) tournament in Dubai on behalf of the Mumbai Indians.

On ‘X', he posted his photo with Pawan Kalyan Rayudu and wrote: "He was unable to fulfill his dream to serve the people of Andhra Pradesh in the YSRCP, but he would not blame anyone for it. Ideology has not been in alignment with that of the YSRCP” and his resignation from the party had nothing to do with contesting the elections from X or Y seat. I resolved to move on from politics."

Spending quality time with Pawan Kalyan, and discussing about politics, Rayudu felt that they both have similar ideologies and vision. "I will be taking off to Dubai for my cricket commitments," said Rayudu.

Here is the timeline of Rayudu:

In May 2023: Rayudu announced retirement after IPL 2024.

On May 11: Rayudu met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Vijayawada. Ever since he met Jagan in May, rumors about Rayudu’s foray into politics were doing rounds.

On December 28: Rayudu joined the YSRCP in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Amaravati. He was one of the few cricketers from the Telugu states who chose politics after their sports career.

On January 6: he wrote on X that he had decided to quit the YSRCP and stay out of politics for a little while. Further action will be conveyed in due course of time.

On January 7: Rayudu stated that he will be representing the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming ILT20 from January 20 in Dubai. Which requires me to be politically non-affiliated whilst playing professional sports.

On January 10: Rayudu met Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan in Vijayawada.

Who is Rayudu?

Ambati Rayudu is a distant relative of Ambati Rambabu, a minister in the current YSRCP government. A resident of Guntur, Rayudu is keen to create more avenues for youth from the grassroots to help them join professional sports.

Earlier, Rayudu said that he wanted to get into public service after learning about the problems of the people including farmers. Ever since, there have been speculations of his political entry.

Rayudu's decisions have sparked speculation about which party he would join to contest elections. Sources said he is interested in constet from Guntur Lok Sabha seat. However, YSRCP has denied him a ticket for this seat.