VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday night announced the names of Kavali Greeshma, Beeda Ravichandra and BT Naidu as party candidates for three MLC seats under the MLAs’ quota.
The selected candidates — Greeshma, Ravichandra and Naidu — represent a strategic blend of social diversity, and regional representation, reflecting TDP’s focus on inclusivity.
However, the BJP, an alliance partner contesting one of the five MLC seats, is yet to name its candidate. As of the latest updates, the BJP central leadership is still deliberating, leaving several hopefuls anxiously awaiting clarity.
The TDP has left two of the five MLC seats for its allies JSP and BJP respectively. JSP candidate Konidela Nagababu, brother of party chief Pawan Kalyan, filed his nomination papers on Friday, signalling swift action from the ally. Meanwhile, TDP and BJP candidates are scheduled to file their nominations on Monday.
Naidu, after much brainstorming, balancing community representation, and party loyalty, finalised the three candidates, who belong to SC and BC communities.
Greeshma, daughter of former Assembly Speaker Prathibha Bharathi, belongs to the SC community, and hails from Srikakulam district.
Left out aspirants assured of MLC seats in 2027 elections
Now, she is TDP official spokesperson, and Chairperson of Women’s Cooperative Finance Corporation. Ravichandra, a BC belongs to Nellore district, was an MLC till 2021. Naidu, a BC who hails from Kurnool, is an incumbent MLC.
Four TDP MLCs - Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, P Ashok Babu, BT Naidu and Duvvarapu Rama Rao - are scheduled to retire on March 29. Further, the seat of Janga Krishna Murthy, who resigned from the YSRCP, and joined the TDP, has been vacant since May 14, 2024. With the TDP leadership leaving one seat to its ally BJP, several ticket aspirants are left disappointed. Notable among them is Pithapuram former MLA SVSN Varma who was reportedly assured of an MLC seat during the general elections to make way for Pawan Kalyan.
Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, another aspirant, had been aspiring for an MLC post after being overlooked for two consecutive general elections since joining the TDP. Similarly, Mopidevi Venkataramana, who quit his Rajya Sabha seat to join the TDP, hoped for a reward that did not materialise this time. To assuage the discontent, the TDP leadership has stepped in with assurances of future opportunities.
Sources revealed that Naidu and senior leaders personally reached out to key leaders, promising MLC seats in the 2027 elections, when seven seats are scheduled to fall vacant. Among those reassured are Varma, former minister KS Jawahar, and incumbent MLC Rama Rao.