As the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the conduct of elections for give MLC seats under the MLA quota in Andhra Pradesh, speculations have begun as who would be in and who would be out this time.
The elections are necessitated with the completion of the term of sitting MLCs Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Janga Krishnamurthy, Duvvarapu Rama Rao, Parchuri Ashok Babu, and B Thirumala Naidu on March 29.
Needless to say, all five seats are expected to remain with the ruling alliance, as the YSRCP doesn’t have enough numbers to win the MLC seats under MLAs’ quota.
According to sources, of these five seats, three seats will go to the TDP, while BJP and JSP will each receive one seat.
TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is holding negotiations with his alliance partners to finalise the candidates for these positions.
Sources said Jana Sena Party chief and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan’s brother, Nagababu, is almost certain to be chosen. Since he was previously promised a ministerial position, securing an MLC seat is seen as a formality.
As regards the TDP, it might not renominate the outgoing MLC and former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, as as his family already has two MLAs and an MP. Instead, the party is reportedly considering offering him an important role in the future.
Sources said Naidu is considering the names of leaders who sacrificed their assembly constituencies during the 2024 elections, like SVSN Varma from Pithapuram, who sacrificed his seat for Pawan Kalyan.
Others who are in the race from the TDP are: former minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, ex-MLA Kommalapati Sridhar, and former MLC Buddha Venkanna.
Minority leader MD Nazir from Visakhapatnam and former Rajya Sabha member Mopidevi Venkata Ramana who quit the YSRCP and joined TDP are also in the fray for the MLC seats.
The BJP is likely to renominate the former MLC P V Madhav for the MLC seat, sources added.
