The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh has decided to compete for three out of four Rajya Sabha seats in the upcoming elections on June 18. The remaining seat will be allocated to their ally, the Jana Sena Party.
This decision was made during a meeting among leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) held at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s office in Amaravati on Thursday evening. Attendees included Pawan Kalyan, president of the Jana Sena Party and the state’s deputy chief minister, along with other key party officials from both TDP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The four Rajya Sabha vacancies emerged because the terms of four incumbent members—Parimal Nathwani, Pilli Subhash Chandrabose, and Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy from the YSR Congress Party, and Sana Satish Babu from the TDP—have ended.
Election notifications for these seats will be released on June 1, with the final date for nominations set for June 8. If needed, voting will take place on June 18. Given that TDP and its allies hold 164 of the 175 assembly seats in the state, they are anticipated to win all four seats without opposition, as the YSRCP, which has only 11 MLAs, is expected to be unable to put forward a candidate.
After the meeting, TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao announced that all parties in the NDA have agreed on this seat-sharing plan. Rao mentioned that TDP would soon reveal the names of the three candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats. Pawan Kalyan will decide who from the Jana Sena will run for their allocated seat.
BJP state president Madhav explained that the seat-sharing agreement was formed after discussions between the BJP’s central leadership and the chief minister in Delhi. He noted that previously, the BJP secured two Rajya Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh and that the election of TDP and Jana Sena MPs would reflect their representation within the NDA framework.
Additionally, the alliance partners agreed to initiate a public outreach campaign to promote the developmental policies and welfare initiatives implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naidu’s government. As part of this campaign, major gatherings are planned in three cities: Tirupati on June 9, Amaravati on June 12, and Visakhapatnam on June 15. Each event will focus on different themes such as welfare programs and administrative reforms.
Following the public meetings, the outreach will expand to district-level events from June 13 to June 20, showcasing the NDA government’s achievements over the last two years.
Manohar stated that the campaign will highlight 24 significant programs and schemes introduced during their governance, and Union Ministers will also take part in these outreach activities.
In response to opposition criticisms, Madhav emphasized the unity among the BJP, TDP, and Jana Sena, reaffirming their commitment to working together as a cohesive alliance ahead of future political activities.
