The surprise selection of Sana Satish, a new entry into politics and also TDP, has been raising discontent among senior leadership within the TDP. Moreover his shady business dealings and his involvement in ED and CBI cases, besides his proximity with those involved in cases against former chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy are causing anger among several leaders of the party.
Even before finalization of his name, several close associates of TDP leaders met party chief and chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and cautioned him giving Rajya Sabha seat to him, ignoring those serving the party since decades will send a wrong signal to the party cadre.
In fact, the Chief Minister admitted their version and promised them that he will not be selected. But his proximity with a key minister is said to be operated as a `veto power’ against Naidu’s promise.
Senior leaders who were hoping for Rajya Sabha seats in TDP like Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Kambhampati Rammohan Rao, Galla Jayadev, Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Varla Ramaiah, Ashok Gajapathiraju and KE Krishnamurthy said to be upset over this decision.
On the other hand, even knowing that they would lose in the Rajya Sabha elections held under the YSRCP government, they nominated a senior leader like Varla Ramaiah. He lost in that election. But now the opportunity has come to give it to him. But his name has not been finalized.
Outside the state Satish is best known for accusing then CBI special director Rakesh Asthana in 2018 of taking a bribe of Rs 3 crore to let him off in a case related to controversial meat-exporter Moin Qureshi. The complaint had triggered an all out CBI versus CBI war with then director Alok Verma booking Asthana and ordering a probe against him, forcing the agency to send both officers on leave.
In June 2019, Satish was arrested by the ED in connection with Qureshi money laundering case and is currently out on bail, after the ED filed a chargesheet naming him. A native of Kakinada, Sana started his career as an employee of the AP Electricity Board before quitting and moving to Hyderabad, where he floated a number of companies.