Synopsis
The BJP has officially nominated Somu Veerraju for the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council elections scheduled for March 20. Veerraju, a former MLC and party state president, aims to secure a seat amidst a competitive political landscape, influenced by TDP and Jana Sena's strategies.Key Takeaways
- Somu Veerraju nominated by BJP for MLC elections.
- Election for five MLC seats on March 20.
- Vacancies due to TDP MLC retirements and disqualifications.
- Competition from TDP and Jana Sena candidates.
- Last date for nomination filing is March 10.
Amaravati, March 10 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidate for the upcoming biennial elections to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, nominating Somu Veerraju, a member of the national executive committee.
On Monday, the Central Election Committee of the BJP approved Somu Veerraju's candidacy. He led the party's state unit from 2020 to 2023.
Previously, he served as a Member of the Legislative Council from 2015 to 2021, where he was the floor leader for BJP.
The elections for five MLC seats from the MLAs' quota are slated for March 20.
These vacancies occurred due to the retirement of four MLCs from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the disqualification of Janga Krishna Murthy by the Council chairman last year after his dissent against the YSR Congress Party.
The TDP has reserved a seat for its partners, the BJP and Jana Sena.
TDP national president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recently approved the nominations of Kavali Grishma, Beeda Ravichandra Yadav, and B.T. Naidu.
Under pressure from BJP leaders, CM Naidu consented to allocate one seat to the party.
Naga Babu, brother of Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan, has already submitted his nomination for the MLC elections. CM Naidu has confirmed that Naga Babu will join the Cabinet.
The TDP-led NDA, which holds 164 seats in the 175-member Assembly, is anticipated to win the elections. The TDP has 135 MLAs, Jana Sena has 21, while the BJP holds eight.
On the other hand, the YSR Congress Party only has 11 seats in the Assembly.
Due to the competition for MLC seats within the TDP, CM Chandrababu Naidu had to persuade candidates to wait until 2027 when seven seats will become available.
The notification for the MLC elections was released on March 3. The last date to file nominations is March 10, with the scrutiny of nominations scheduled for March 11. The deadline for withdrawing nominations is March 13.
