Three candidates of TDP file nominations for Rajya Sabha polls
Amaravati, June 8
Telugu Desam Party's three candidates for Rajya Sabha elections filed their nominations on Monday. Sana Satish, Bashyam Ramakrishna, and Chintakayala Vijay filed their papers before the returning officer at the State Legislative Assembly.
They were accompanied by TDP leaders and workers. Before filing nominations, they visited TDP's central office and paid tributes to party founder and Late Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao.
The TDP on Saturday announced its candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls. The party has renominated Sana Satish, who is one of the four Rajya Sabha members retiring this month. The TDP named educationist Bhashyam Ramakrishna and a younger face, Chintakayala Vijay, as the other candidates.
Under the seat-sharing arrangement among the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners, the TDP is contesting three seats, leaving the fourth seat for Jana Sena Party (JSP)
Lingamaneni Ramesh filed his nomination papers as a Rajya Sabha candidate of the JSP on Saturday.
Satish, a close associate of TDP national working president Nara Lokesh, was sent to the Upper House on a truncated term one-and-a-half years ago.
Belonging to the Kapu community, the businessman-turned-politician was aspiring for a Lok Sabha ticket in 2024. However, the party could not give him the ticket. After the coalition came to power, he was sent to the Rajya Sabha in the byelection held in December 2024 due to the resignation of Mopidevi Venkatramna of the YSR Congress Party.
Bhashyam Ramakrishna is a prominent educationalist and entrepreneur who founded the Bhashyam group, a private educational network with operations in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He is a Kamma, a socially and politically powerful caste to which TDP national president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu belongs.
Ramakrishna was an aspirant for a Lok Sabha ticket from Guntur in 2024, but the party could not nominate him due to various reasons.
Chintakayala Vijay is the son of Andhra Assembly Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu. A backward class member from north coastal Andhra, Vijay is one of the younger leaders considered close to Lokesh. He was also an aspirant for a Lok Sabha ticket from Anakapalli, but he was not given the opportunity as the TDP had to leave the seat for the BJP.
Meanwhile, Vijay said in a statement that CM Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh have proven that those who stand by the party during difficult times are duly recognised.
He stated that he would remain forever indebted to Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh for giving him the opportunity to be a Rajya Sabha candidate.
"I will uphold the trust Mr Lokesh has placed in me and discharge the new responsibilities with dedication," he said.
"On behalf of my family, which has stood by the party since its inception, I extend my gratitude to everyone," he added.
Elections for four Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled to be held on June 18.
The vacancies from Andhra Pradesh arose due to the retirement of Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy, Nathwani Parimal, Pilli Subhaschandra Bose, all belonging to YSR Congress Party and Sana Satish of the TDP.
The NDA is sure to win all four Rajya Sabha seats, going by its overwhelming majority in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
In the 175-member state Assembly, the TDP holds 135 seats, while its allies, Jana Sena and BJP, have 21 and 8 seats respectively. The YSR Congress Party has only 11 seats.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's good that TDP is giving opportunities to younger leaders like Chintakayala Vijay. His father is the Assembly Speaker, so there's some nepotism talk, but every party does that these days. At least he seems dedicated to Lokesh and the party. Hope he uses the Rajya Sabha platform effectively for north coastal Andhra issues.
Seat-sharing formula is clear: TDP 3, JSP 1. NDA's majority in AP assembly means this is just a formality. But honestly, Rajya Sabha is becoming a retirement home for failed Lok Sabha aspirants. Sana Satish couldn't get a ticket for Lok Sabha, so here he is in Rajya Sabha. Good for him, but where's the vision?
The article mentions caste backgrounds — Kapu, Kamma, BC. This is Andhra politics for you. Every appointment is dissected by community. Bhashyam Ramakrishna is a good pick though; education is key for AP's development. But why can't we have more women or non-political figures in these seats? Just a thought.
YSRCP has only 11 MLAs in a 175-member house — that's embarrassing for them. But TDP should still focus on governance rather than just consolidating power. NDA is comfortably winning all 4 seats, so this election is just a procedural thing. Let's hope these candidates contribute meaningfully in the Upper House.
Interesting to see how coalition dynamics work. BJP getting a seat via JSP, TDP keeping 3.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.