TDP candidates for MLC polls declared

Vijayawada: After an extensive selection process, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has finalized and announced its candidates for the Member of Legislative Council (MLC) seats under the MLA quota. Out of the five available vacancies, the TDP had to allocate one seat each to its alliance partners, Jana Sena and BJP.

On Sunday, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu cleared the names of the party candidates. The first candidate is Kavali Grishma, an SC candidate from Srikakulam and the daughter of K Pratibha Bharati, former Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. The second candidate is B T Naidu, who is retiring but has been given another term. A lawyer from Kurnool in the Rayalaseema region, he played a crucial role when Chandrababu Naidu was arrested by the YSRCP government in the skill development case and was imprisoned for 53 days.

During this period, B T Naidu actively engaged in legal discussions with Naidu and guided the party cadre in organizing protests against what they deemed an illegal arrest.

The third candidate, Beeda Ravichandra Yadav, belongs to the Boya caste and played a significant role during Nara Lokesh’s padayatra. He has been a key supporter and flagbearer of the party.

However, a major disappointment came for SVSN Varma, former MLA of Pithapuram, who had sacrificed his seat for Pawan Kalyan in the last Assembly elections. Party sources indicate that Chandrababu Naidu personally informed Varma that, due to last-minute pressure from BJP leaders Amit Shah and J P Nadda in New Delhi, one seat had to be allocated to the BJP. Earlier, another seat had already been given to Jana Sena’s K Nagababu.

Upset over this decision, Varma reportedly expressed his displeasure with the party leadership, feeling that his sacrifices had been overlooked. He also voiced concerns about the safety of his supporters in his constituency. All eyes are now on his next move.

Sources reveal that Amit Shah and J P Nadda personally called Naidu, insisting that one seat be allocated to a BJP candidate. With 40 TDP aspirants in the race, the party is now trying to pacify those who were not selected by promising chairman posts for some and council positions in 2027 when 22 seats will become vacant.

At present, the retiring MLCs are Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, P Ashok Babu, Duvvarapu Rama Rao, and B T Naidu.

Prominent leaders who were in contention included former Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Buddha Venkanna, Vangaveeti Radha Krishna, Kommalapati Sridhar, and Janga Krishna Murthy, all of whom played a leading role in TDP’s opposition to the YSRCP government.