YSRC nominates former TTD chief and two others for Rajya Sabha elections

Vijayawada: The ruling YSRC on Thursday declared former MP and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) chairman YV Subba Reddy, MLAs Gola Babu Rao and Meda Raghunadha Reddy as its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

While the nomination of Subba Reddy and Babu Rao had been under discussion for quite some time, the inclusion of Raghunadha Reddy came as a surprise. The three candidates met YSRC President and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Three Rajya Sabha seats will fall vacant on April 2 as the terms of Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar (TDP), Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy (YSRC) and CM Ramesh (BJP) will expire. If necessary, elections will be held on February 27 to fill these seats.

While the YSRC may comfortably win three seats, the TDP is likely to field a candidate as it hopes to get support from MLAs who are unhappy with the ruling party’s exercise of appointing new in-charges in the assembly constituencies. Some MLAs including Kolusu Paradhasaradhi, Kapu Ramachandra Reddy, Alla Ramakrishna Reddy and others have expressed their displeasure against the YSRC. While Ramakrishna Reddy has already joined the Congress, others are also planning to join the switched parties.

YSRC awards Rajya Sabha seats to Paykaraopet MLA Meda’s brother

Apart from YV Subba Reddy, the ruling YSRC had decided to nominate one leader each from the Backward Class (BC) and the Scheduled Caste (SC) to the Upper House of Parliament. The party was limited to former Group-I officer Babu Rao. He joined politics in 2009 after being influenced by former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy. He won as MLA from Peykaraopet SC-reserved constituency in Anakapalle district and later supported Jagan when he formed the YSR Congress Party. He was among the MLAs who resigned from their posts to support Jagan. He successfully won the by-election in 2012 as well as the assembly election from Peykaraopet in 2019. He was a strong contender for a place in the cabinet, but he was denied it.

However, now the party has decided to send him to Rajya Sabha. Jagan’s close relative YV Subba Reddy has played a key role in party affairs. He is from Prakasam district and won the Ongole Lok Sabha seat in 2014. In 2019, the party stripped him of the MP seat and appointed him TTD president.

Meanwhile, Raghunadha Reddy is the brother of Rajampet MLA Meda Mallikarjuna Reddy. Mallikarjuna Reddy, a businessman by profession, entered politics with TDP and successfully contested elections from Rajampet in 2014. He switched to YSRC and won the constituency again in the 2019 elections. Since Mallikarjuna Reddy is likely to be replaced in the upcoming elections, the party decided to nominate his brother to the Rajya Sabha.