Many in race for Minister post from Nellore district

Nellore: After registering landslide victory by sweeping all the 10 Assembly seats and Nellore Lok Sabha seat, now the district MLAs are focussed on securing ministerial berth in N Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet. Only one or two MLAs have the chance of securing Minister post out of the 10 MLAs, who won from Nellore district.

According to sources, one minister post was already allocated to Nellore city MLA Ponguru Narayana, who earlier worked as Municipal Administration Minister in 2014. Besides Narayana, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy (Atmakur), Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy (Sarvepalle) and Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy (Kovur) also in the race.

Among the trio, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy is the senior most leader as he had been a 6-time MLA from different Assembly segments. He served as R&B Minister twice in NTR cabinet (1983 and 1985); twice in Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s cabinet; and twice as Finance Minister in K Rosaiah and N Kiran Kumar Reddy cabinets in 2012 and 2014.

Somireddy Chandramohan Mohan Reddy was elected three times from Sarvepalle Assembly segment in 1994, 1999 and 2024 and he served as MLC in 2012. He served as minister three times – as Youth Services and Sports Minister between 1996-1999, Information and Public Relations Minister in 2001 and Agricultural Minister in 2014 in Chandrababu Naidu cabinet.

Meanwhile, Kovur MLA Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy is on a serious trail to secure ministerial berth in Naidu’s cabinet, as she was responsible for retaining TDP’s past glory in Kovur constituency by throwing a four-decade family rule of Nallapareddy after defeating YSRCP sitting MLA Nallapareddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy in 2024 elections. Following cast equations, it is mandatory to allot one minister post for Reddy community in the district, whether it is TDP or Congress. Sources say that there is a possibility of offering Speaker post to Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, who is a law graduate.

It may be recalled that in 2005 Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy offered Speaker post to Anam, but he ignored for various reasons. Grapevine is that Chandrababu Naidu is keen of giving TTD Chairman post to Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy, who is presently chairperson of TTD Delhi Advisory Committee, appointed during YSRCP rule.