Speculation is rife within the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) that senior leader and close confidant of Jagan Mohan Reddy, Dharmana Krishna Das, a former Deputy Chief Minister from Srikakulam district, has decided to stay away from contesting elections in the future.
Over his political career spanning more than two and a half decades, Krishna Das contested as an MLA six times and won four times.
He first entered the Assembly in 2004 from Narasannapeta in Srikakulam district as a Congress candidate and retained the seat in 2009.
A loyal follower of the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, he later moved to Jagan after YSR’s death.
Joining YSRCP, he took on full responsibility for the district and resigned from his Congress MLA seat to contest the 2012 by-elections, which he won with a strong majority.
However, he faced defeat in 2014. In 2019, he made a comeback and was entrusted with a key role as Deputy Chief Minister during the first three years of the YSRCP government.
Jagan’s faith in him was evident when he gave Krishna Das a cabinet berth in the very first round and elevated him to the Deputy CM post. Following YSRCP’s 2024 defeat, Jagan reappointed him as the district in-charge.
Now, reports suggest Krishna Das has taken a sensational decision.
He has reportedly informed the party leadership that he will not contest in future elections, instead paving the way for his son Krishna Chaitanya, a current ZPTC member, to step into active politics.
If these reports hold true, Chaitanya is expected to contest from Narasannapeta in the 2029 elections.
With Krishna Das regarded as a major pillar of YSRCP in the district, his decision has triggered debates within the party on how this shift could impact its strength in Srikakulam.