Though Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu offered MLC seat to Jana Sena President Pawan Kalyan’s elder brother K. Nagababu, so that to induct him into his cabinet, Deputy Chief Minister is insisting for a Rajya Sabha seat to his brother.
Chandrababu had previously announced that he would be inducted into the cabinet. Until yesterday, everyone thought that he would first be given an MLC and then a ministerial post. Unexpectedly, the proposal to give a Rajya Sabha seat instead of an MLC came from Jana Sena.
Now, Chandrababu is also said to be given his approval to send Nagababu to Rajya Sabha in the seat vacated by Vijayasai Reddy. TDP seems to be now thinking of offering the MLC seat proposed for Nagababu to the BJP. However, BJP central leadership is also said to be keen on getting another Rajya Sabha seat from AP.
Chandrababu, who is on a visit to New Delhi is likely to discuss this issue with the BJP central leadership as well. On the other hand, Pawan Kalyan is said to be working out to get an MLC seat to former YCP Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, for which he had promised earlier. He wants to induct him in the state cabinet also. But TDP leaders in Prakasam district are opposing vehemently for his induction into the cabinet.
As the schedule to elect five MLCs from MLAs started in AP and the coalition parties are likely to win these seats unanimously, several aspirant leaders are making hectic efforts for party nomination.
State BJP leaders are also insisting on one MLC seat for them. Though the party has decided to field a BC candidate from North Andhra, party Rayalaseema leaders are insisting to choose one among them. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is said to be finding it difficult to accommodate a large number of party aspirants in the remaining three seats.
All those who did not get seats as part of the electoral alliance in the last year’s elections are waiting for the opportunity of MLC. There are also former ministers among them. Moreover, former minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, who had sacrificed his Rajya Sabha seat to join TDP, is also keen to become MLC.
The BJP top leaders are said to be keen on getting more Rajya Sabha seats, but not MLC seats. BJP is also expecting two more YCP Rajya Sabha members to resign from the party and also their Rajya Sabha seats. Those two leaders are now in touch with the BJP and one of them is likely to join BJP. In that scenario, both TDP and BJP are likely to share those two seats in the later by-polls.