Subba Reddy among three YSRC candidates for Rajya Sabha polls
VIJAYAWADA : The YSRC on Thursday announced ex-MP YV Subba Reddy, Payakaraopet MLA Golla Babu Rao and Meda Raghunadha Reddy as its candidates for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections. While the names of Subba Reddy and Babu Rao were doing rounds for some time, Raghunadha Reddy’s name was a surprise inclusion.
Elections, if necessary, will be held on February 27 to elect three Rajya Sabha members. The tenure of Rajya Sabha members Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar (TDP), Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy (YSRC) and CM Ramesh (BJP) will come to an end on April 2.
Earlier, the YSRC had decided to nominate a BC and an SC to the Upper House apart from Subba Reddy. It had narrowed down on Babu Rao, a former Group-I officer who joined politics in 2009, influenced by former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. He won as an MLA from Payakaraopet SC reserved constituency in Anakapalle district and sailed with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy when he floated the YSRC. He was among the legislators who quit their posts in support of Jagan and won the bye-elections in 2012. He again won from the same constituency in the last Assembly elections. He has now been elevated to the Rajya Sabha.
Subba Reddy, on the other hand, is a close relative of Jagan and played a key role in the party affairs. The other candidate, Raghunadha Reddy is the brother of Rajampet MLA Meda Mallkarjuna Reddy. A businessman by profession, Mallikarjuna Reddy started political career in the TDP and successfully contested from Rajampet assembly constituency in 2014.
As Mallikarjuna Reddy is likely to be replaced, the YSRC leadership has decided to give the RS seat to his brother.