VIJAYAWADA: Ending days of speculation over its Rajya Sabha nominee, Jana Sena Party (JSP) on Friday announced entrepreneur and philanthropist Lingamaneni Ramesh as its candidate, with party president Pawan Kalyan backing a long-time associate who has stood by the party since 2015.
The announcement followed discussions held on Thursday regarding the party’s nominee for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat. Pawan Kalyan formally declared Ramesh’s candidature on Friday. He is scheduled to file his nomination papers on Saturday afternoon.
With Ramesh’s nomination, Jana Sena is set to make its entry into the Rajya Sabha for the first time since the party’s formation, giving it a voice in Parliament’s Upper House. Party leaders said the development marks a significant milestone in Jana Sena’s political journey and will strengthen its ability to raise issues concerning Andhra Pradesh at the national level.
Ramesh has shared a close association with Jana Sena and its president for over a decade. He was drawn to Pawan Kalyan’s vision of achieving Andhra Pradesh’s development through social harmony, inclusive growth and equal opportunities for all sections of society. Even after Jana Sena’s disappointing performance in the 2019 elections, he continued to support the party and its leadership, demonstrating faith in its ideology and long-term political objectives.
A prominent entrepreneur based in Vijayawada, Ramesh has built a diversified business presence spanning real estate, infrastructure, renewable energy, aviation, healthcare and education. Through the LEPL Group, he played a pioneering role in large-scale real estate development in Coastal Andhra Pradesh and has been actively involved in philanthropic activities, particularly in education and healthcare.
Expressing gratitude for being nominated as the JSP’s Rajya Sabha candidate, Lingamaneni Ramesh thanked party president and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for their support.