With the Election Commission of India announcing the schedule for the elections to five MLC seats in Andhra Pradesh under the MLAs' quota, intense lobbying has begun within the ruling coalition for nominations.
Since the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) does not have the required number of MLAs, all five MLC seats are expected to go to the ruling alliance.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is likely to retain three seats, while the Jana Sena Party (JSP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will each receive one seat.
TDP chief and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan have already held initial discussions on candidate selection, and a crucial decision has reportedly been made.
The Jana Sena Party has almost finalized the candidature of Pawan Kalyan’s brother, Nagababu, as Naidu has already announced his induction into the state cabinet. Meanwhile, the BJP is considering a few candidates for its allotted seat.
Within the TDP, several leaders who sacrificed their constituencies in the 2024 elections are lobbying for MLC positions.
According to sources, the party is considering a plan to allocate one seat each to candidates from the OC, BC, and SC categories.
For the BC quota, Beeda Ravichandra is under consideration. Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, who recently switched from YSRCP to TDP, is also in the race.
There are strong indications that Vangaveeti Radhakrishna from Vijayawada will receive an MLC ticket this time.
In the 2019 elections, Radha left the YSRCP to join the TDP and was promised an MLC seat. However, TDP’s defeat in 2019 meant he never got the opportunity.
Now, with the coalition in power, and Radha maintaining good relations with both Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, sources suggest that arrangements are being made to fulfill the old promise.
However, since Nagababu is already receiving an MLC seat, some party members are questioning whether it is appropriate to allocate another MLC position to Radha, as both belong to the same community.
Additionally, discussions are ongoing about offering a seat to former Pithapuram MLA SVSN Verma. If Radha is given an MLC seat, then Buddha Venkanna and former minister Devineni, both from Krishna district, are unlikely to get a chance.
Among SC candidates, two former ministers from West Godavari are being considered for an MLC seat. As a result, anticipation is high regarding the final selection of the five coalition candidates.
