If reports circulating within Telugu Desam Party circles are to be believed, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu may contest the 2029 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections instead of seeking another term as the Member of Parliament from Srikakulam.
According to party sources, Rammohan Naidu is reportedly interested in contesting from the Narasannapeta Assembly constituency and playing a more active role in state politics.
Sources said the possibility of his entering the Assembly had been discussed even before the 2024 elections. However, he eventually retained the Srikakulam Lok Sabha seat after his uncle and state minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu reportedly advised him to continue in national politics.
Rammohan Naidu went on to secure a third consecutive victory and was later inducted into the Union Cabinet.
Fresh speculation has emerged amid reports that TDP national working president and state IT minister Nara Lokesh is keen to bring more young leaders into state politics and prepare a new generation of leadership for the future.
If the TDP-led coalition returns to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2029, party insiders believe Rammohan Naidu could be considered for a berth in the state Cabinet, possibly under the leadership of Lokesh.
Such a move would leave the prestigious Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency without its sitting MP, triggering competition within both the TDP and the opposition YSR Congress Party.
Within the YSRCP, former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao is reportedly interested in contesting the Srikakulam parliamentary seat. He is said to have long aspired to enter Parliament after serving multiple terms as an MLA.
Former Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram, who currently serves as the YSRCP’s in-charge for the Srikakulam parliamentary constituency, is also reportedly seeking the party nomination. According to political circles, he has already conveyed his interest to the party leadership.
The Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency has traditionally been a difficult seat for the YSRCP. The party has experimented with candidates from different communities in successive elections, but Rammohan Naidu has continued to retain the seat.
Political observers note that the TDP still enjoys a strong organisational base in the constituency, while the influence of the Kinjarapu family remains significant.
If Rammohan Naidu eventually shifts to state politics, the TDP will have to identify a new parliamentary candidate, while the YSRCP may have to choose between aspirants such as Dharmana Prasada Rao and Tammineni Sitaram.
