As the Election Commission of India on Monday issued the notification for elections to 24 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states, scheduled to be held on June 18, speculation has begun over who will get nominations for the four vacant seats in Andhra Pradesh.
With the TDP-led coalition government having a huge majority in the State Assembly, with 164 MLAs out of the total 175, all four seats will be secured by the ruling alliance.
Initial reports said the TDP would retain two seats while allocating one seat each to its alliance partners — the Jana Sena Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
However, later reports suggested that the TDP may not allot any Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP this time, but may allocate one seat to the Jana Sena Party.
According to party sources, TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has already conveyed to the BJP top leadership that it may not be possible to allocate one seat to the BJP this time.
Apparently, he reminded them that after the formation of the coalition government in Andhra Pradesh, two BJP-backed candidates had already been elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state; R Krishnaiah and Paka Venkata Satyanarayana.
However, according to reports from New Delhi, the BJP top leadership is said to have discussed the matter in detail during the latest meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee at the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss candidate selection for Rajya Sabha seats.
Apparently, Modi asked party leaders to hold direct talks with Chandrababu Naidu in an attempt to secure at least one seat from the state.
He is learnt to have suggested that Naidu be convinced to field a common consensus candidate from Andhra Pradesh.
It is learnt that the Prime Minister reportedly suggested the name of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka in 2020 and is now nearing the completion of his term.
Within Karnataka, pressure is reportedly mounting on the BJP to continue accommodating him as part of the BJP-JD(S) alliance arrangement.
However, BJP leaders are also said to be considering former Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda for a Rajya Sabha berth from Karnataka.
Sources said Modi asked Union Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy to directly speak with Naidu regarding a possible Rajya Sabha seat for Deve Gowda from Andhra Pradesh, given the latter’s close ties with the TDP chief.
If, for any reason, Modi decides against fielding Deve Gowda from Andhra Pradesh, names such as former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai and Dalit rights activist Manda Krishna Madiga are being discussed as possible candidates from Andhra Pradesh.
It remains to be seen whether Chandrababu Naidu will concede to the BJP’s request and what the eventual seat-sharing arrangement within the alliance will be.
