Nellore: Political scenario took an interest turn with Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu finalising the candidature of Beeda Masthan Rao for Rajya Sabha seat. His victory is just nominal.

With this, two MPs from Nellore will be representing from TDP.

Politically this will be a major setback to Opposition YSRCP as the two dominant communities Reddys and BCs have grip over their respective communities in the district.

The 66-year-old industrialist-cum-politician Beeda belongs to BC community and hails from Iskapalle village of Bogole mandal in the district. His brother Beeda Ravi Chandra is a hard core TDP activist and presently working as party national secretary.

Beeda Masthan Rao started his political journey by winning as Bogolu ZPTC member on TDP banner in 2001 and became TDP MLA of Kavali constituency by defeating Congress nominee Katamreddy Vishnu Vardhan Reddy with a majority of 19,027 votes in 2009 elections.

Beeda brothers, who have a strong hold over fishermen community, are responsible for stregthening TDP in all fronts, including financially after that party lost power in 2005 elections.

Later in 2014 elections, Beeda Masthan Rao contested on the same TDP banner and was defeated by YSRCP candidate Ramireddy Pratap Kumar Reddy with a margin of just 4,969 votes. He served as advisory member of Capital Region Development Authority between 2014-2019.

Following the directions of party high command, Masthan Rao contested for Nellore MP seat in 2019 and lost the election to YSRCP nominee Adala Prabhakar Reddy with a margin of 1,48,571 votes.

Later, Beeda Masthan Rao joined YSRCP and become Rajya Sabha member in 2022. He still had a two-year term but YSRCP lost power in 2024 elections. He left the party and joined TDP in October 2024.