The vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh will likely go to the BJP following an agreement between coalition partners BJP, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and Janasena. This seat became available after YSRCP MP V. Vijayasai Reddy stepped down.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai has emerged as the leading candidate for this position. This matter was reportedly discussed during a recent meeting between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
The Election Commission has announced the by-election schedule with April 29th as the last date for nominations and May 9th set for polling if needed. However, given the strong majority held by the coalition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, the election is expected to be a mere formality resulting in an unopposed victory.
While Annamalai’s nomination appears most likely, some reports suggest former Union Minister Smriti Irani is also being considered by BJP leadership for the Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh.
The NDA coalition partners TDP and Janasena seem to have reached an understanding that this particular seat will go to the BJP, strengthening their alliance in the southern state while expanding their presence in the upper house of Parliament.
