Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced Jana Sena General Secretary K. Nagababu will soon be inducted into the state cabinet on a request from Jana Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. His induction would depend upon whether he becomes the cabinet minister before being elected as an MLC or afterwards. The seat in the state cabinet to be filled will be vacant.
The ruling coalition has narrowed down its choices to the candidates for the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh. Chandrababu Naidu confirmed that the nominations of Beeda Mastan Rao and Sana Satish Babu from the Telugu Desam Party and R Krishnaiah from the Bharatiya Janata Party have been filed. With the YSR Congress Party having opted out of the elections, selection of these candidates is likely to be a formality. The final date for filing of the nominations is Tuesday.
These elections are necessitated following the resignation of three members of the Rajya Sabha — R. Krishnaiah, Beeda Mastan Rao, and Mopidevi Venkataramana. Krishnaiah has since become a member of the BJP, while Mastan Rao and Mopidevi sided with the TDP. Both Mastan Rao and Krishnaiah are returning to the Rajya Sabha through these elections.
Hailing from Vikarabad district in Telangana, R. Krishnaiah has long been an advocate for Backward Classes (BC) rights across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Born on September 13, 1954, he gained prominence in 2014 by winning the LB Nagar assembly seat in Hyderabad as a TDP candidate. During the same election, he was announced as the TDP's Chief Ministerial candidate for Telangana. After serving as an MLA until 2018, he joined the Rajya Sabha in 2022 as a YSRCP nominee but resigned from his position on September 24, 2023.
A known businessman of Nellore District is Beeda Mastan Rao who has had an accomplished stride both in businesses and the politics. Known as "BMR," he had a financial management career in Chennai's hospitality sector before coming to the shrimp industry. Mastan Rao, born on July 2, 1958, belongs to the BC community and joined politics in 2001. He won a ZPTC seat from Bogolu mandal on behalf of the TDP but lost the 2004 assembly elections. In 2009, however, he emerged victorious from the Kavali constituency. Mastan Rao In 2019, he contested as a TDP candidate for the Nellore Lok Sabha seat but lost. Since then, he is still active with the YSRCP as Rajya Sabha member.
From sub-engineer to businessman and industrialist Sana Satish Babu was born to lower-middle-class parents at Kakinada. He then moved to the construction business in Hyderabad. He established many companies subsequently. Satish is also known for his philanthropy activities by running a foundation under his name. Satish is an active sports administrator and was elected recently as secretary of Andhra Cricket Association. Satish is now a strong candidate for Kakinada Lok Sabha ticket of TDP in the 2024 elections.
The announcement marks a strategic move by the ruling coalition to balance political dynamics and strengthen representation in the Rajya Sabha
