Lobbying hots up for Rajya Sabha seats

​Hyderabad: With the schedule for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha having been announced, hectic activity is being witnessed in the TRS and TDP.

Four seats in Andhra Pradesh and two from Telangana will fall vacant as Y Sujana Chowdary (TDP), J D Seelam and Jairam Ramesh from Congress and Nirmala Seetaraman from BJP would be retiring from Andhra Pradesh.

In Telangana, G Sudharani who was elected on TDP ticket and later joined TRS and V Hanumnatha Rao of Congress will be retiring.

Among the front runners in Telangana are D Damodar Rao, Captain Lakshmikantha Rao, former IAS officer, Tejavath Ramachandrudu, Advisor to the state government D Srinivas and special representative to TRS government in New Delhi, S Venugopalachari.

According to sources, Damodar Rao’s name figures for his contribution to the Telangana movement in different ways. Lakshmikantha Rao is a staunch loyalist of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and has been with the party since it was formed.

Though Sudharani is also hoping for a renomination sources say that her chances are bleak. This time both the seats would go to the TRS since the Congress in the state does not have the required numbers in the Assembly.

Congress strength in the Assembly has gone down to 14 members from 21. For winning a seat the member should get at least 40 first preference votes. KCR is likely to take a decision after the Palair by election slated to be held on May 16.

In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where elections for four Rajya Sabha seats would be held is more complicated compared to Telangana. The ruling TDP is in coalition with the BJP both in the state and at the Centre.

Of the four, TDP can comfortably win three and the opposition YSRCP will win one seat. Of the three TDP may have to sacrifice one seat to its ally BJP.

Speculation is rife that the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Seetharaman may be shifted to Rajasthan and M Venkaiah Naidu may be the BJPs choice from Andhra Pradesh. Clarity on the candidates is expected after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hold talks on the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 16.

A section of the TDP feels that Naidu may not re-nominate Sujana Chowdary this time. But another section claims that renominating him was a foregone conclusion. This leaves the TDP with one seat for which there is hectic lobbying. Party leaders say that even the Finance Minister Y Ramakrishnudu is among the front runners for the Rajya Sabha seat.

Sources claim that Nara Lokesh is also in favour of sending Ramakrishnudu to the upper house. However, since Ramakrishnudu happens to be holding key portfolios of Finance and Legislative Affairs, Naidu may not agree to this proposal. The special representative to AP government in New Delhi K Ramamohan Rao is also in the race.

While this being the scenario, Telangana TDP leaders have been lobbying for accommodating one person for Rajya Sabha from TS in AP quota.

Recently, TTDP leaders like L Ramana and Revanth Reddy and R Chandrasekhar Reddy who met Naidu at Vijayawada urged him to consider the name of party senior leader M Narsimhulu. However, Naidu it is said was non committal. The YSRCP is confident of sending Vijayasai Reddy to Rajya Sabha since it has about 54 MLAs.