Amaravati: Undi TDP MLA Kanumuru Raghuramakrishna Raju has been confirmed as the Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu finalized Raju’s name on Tuesday, with the official notification expected to be released on Wednesday and Thursday. His election to the position is considered a mere formality.
Raju’s political journey took a significant turn in the 2019 elections when he won the Narasapuram Lok Sabha seat on a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) ticket. However, shortly after, he became a vocal critic of the YSRCP government led by then-Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Through initiatives like Ratchabanda, he frequently exposed alleged corruption and irregularities within the ruling party. In response, the YSRCP government filed a treason case against him, leading to his detention.
Following repeated conflicts, Raju was mostly based in Delhi to avoid state restrictions. After the current coalition government assumed power, he filed a complaint in Guntur against police officials who allegedly mistreated him, implicating Jagan and other top officials. Raju has also been advocating in the Supreme Court for an expedited investigation into Jagan’s alleged illegal assets.
In 2024, Raju left YSRCP to join the TDP, winning the Undi constituency in West Godavari.
