NDA candidates file nominations for RS bypoll

Vijayawada: Three candidates — two from TDP and one from BJP — filed nominations for Rajya Sabha seats Tues-day. They handed over their nominations to Rajya Sabha elections returning officer R Vanita Rani at As-sembly Hall. The election of all three candidates of NDA is likely to be unanimous going by its strength in the 175-member Assembly. The TDP has 135 members while its allies Jana Sena and BJP have 21 and 8 seats respectively.

Beedha Masthan Rao and Sana Satish filed nominations as candidates of the TDP while R Krishnaiah filed his papers as a nominee of BJP.

Agriculture minister and TDP leader K Atchannaidu and some MLAs of the three NDA partners were pre-sent when the three candidates filed their nominations before the returning officer at the State Legisla-ture complex.

Speaking to media persons, the candidates thanked their respective parties for fielding them. They said they would do their best for the state’s development. The TDP and BJP candidates stated that they would work under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to take Andhra Pradesh ahead on the path of development.

Krishnaiah said he had been fighting for backward classes for the last 50 years. He also stated that asso-ciation with the RSS created leadership qualities in him and he would continue to work for the develop-ment of BCs.

Tuesday was the last day for filing nominations for by-elections. The polling, if necessary, will be held on December 20. The YSRCP, which lost power to the NDA in the elections held in May, has only 11 MLAs.

The vacancies were caused by the recent resignations of Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao, Masthan Rao Yadav and Krishnaiah, all of the YSRCP.

While Mopidevi and Matshan Rao joined the TDP after resigning from the YSRCP in August, Krishnaiah announced that he would work to strengthen the backward class movement.

Mopidevi had his term up to June 21, 2026, while the term of the other two was to end on June 21, 2028.