Four Rajya Sabha seats trigger intense lobbying within TDP

Vijayawada: With the Election Commission set to issue the notification on Monday for the biennial elections to fill four Rajya Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh, intense lobbying has begun within the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), with several senior leaders and long-time loyalists making a strong pitch for nomination to the Upper House.The contest for the coveted berths has generated considerable interest in political circles. Since the TDP-led NDA enjoys a comfortable majority in the state assembly, it is expected to win all four seats, making the nomination process more significant than the election itself.Political analysts believe the party leadership could spring a surprise by nominating a BC woman candidate. Such a move would complement TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh’s recent promise of providing 33% reservation for women in politics. Although Lokesh has proposed implementing the quota from the next elections, party strategists are understood to be exploring ways to reinforce the commitment immediately and consolidate support among women voters.According to party sources, chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has urged the BJP leadership not to seek a Rajya Sabha seat in the current cycle. Naidu is said to have argued that the TDP had already accommodated the BJP with two Rajya Sabha seats during the previous round, and was now facing considerable pressure from within its own ranks. He is also believed to have conveyed that the party is obliged to leave one seat for alliance partner Jana Sena.While there has been no official word on the BJP’s response, the TDP leadership is reportedly preparing to retain three of the four seats and allot one to Janasena. Meanwhile, several senior leaders met Naidu over the weekend to present their case for a Rajya Sabha berth. Among those who reportedly sought consideration were senior leaders Varla Ramaiah, Kambhampati Rammohan Rao, Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and Bhashyam Ramakrishna.Sitting Rajya Sabha member Sana Satish, whose term is due to expire next month, was busy overseeing arrangements for Chandrababu Naidu’s visit to Kakinada district on Monday. The timing of CM visit to Kakinada has fuelled speculation within the party that Satish could be renominated for another term. If that happens, the TDP would need to identify only two additional candidates. Party is also looking into the demand to accommodate a Reddy candidate from the Rayalaseema region citing that YSRC has three Reddy MPs from the region.Sources said Nara Lokesh is likely to scrutinise the list of aspirants before forwarding the most suitable names to Naidu for a final decision. Balancing caste, gender, generational and regional considerations, while rewarding organisational contributions and maintaining political equilibrium within the alliance, has emerged as a challenging exercise for the party leadership.The issue has also sparked debate within the TDP, with many party workers arguing that Rajya Sabha nominations should go to leaders who have dedicated decades of service to the organisation. However, bridging young and new faces to big platforms like RS is also on the cards keeping in view of the aspirations of the Gen-Z electors. Naidu and Lokesh are expected to weigh loyalty, political utility and social representation before finalising the candidates next week.