Amaravati: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have finalized their candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. TDP has nominated Sana Satish and Beeda Mastan Rao, while BJP has selected R. Krishnaiah as its candidate. All three are expected to file their nominations tomorrow, with the seats likely to be elected unopposed.
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Beeda Mastan Rao, a businessman and former Rajya Sabha MP, had switched allegiance from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to TDP during the elections, reportedly after securing an assurance for a Rajya Sabha seat. The TDP has now honored this promise by confirming his nomination. Sana Satish, the second TDP nominee, had earlier expressed interest in contesting for the Kakinada MP seat but stepped aside. The party has now rewarded him with a Rajya Sabha seat.
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R. Krishnaiah, the BJP nominee, is a prominent Backward Classes (BC) leader from Telangana. A former TDP MLA from LB Nagar in 2014, he later contested unsuccessfully for the Congress in 2018. Subsequently, he was sent to the Rajya Sabha by the YSRCP but resigned from both the position and the party in 2024. The BJP, aiming to strengthen its BC vote bank, has strategically chosen Krishnaiah as its Rajya Sabha nominee.
The official nominations reflect calculated moves by both parties to consolidate their positions ahead of the elections.