Hyderabad:K. Nagababu, brother of Jana Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, will soon join N. Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh.
The surprise move came close on the heels of Naidu’s no to accommodate the Jana Sena leader for Rajya Sabha. Of the three RS vacancies that will go for polls, two will be filled with B. Mastan Rao and Sana Satish Babu from the Telugu Desam and the remaining with R. Krishnaiah on behalf of the BJP. Both Rao and Krishnaiah who got into the Upper House on the YSRC ticket resigned post the debacle of the party in the 2024 Assembly polls.
A close confidant of Nara Lokesh, TD heir-apparent and minister, Satish, an entrepreneur from the coastal city of Kakinada, openly stood by Lokesh at a time several TD leaders ducked under fear before and after the arrest of Naidu. Though tipped for Kakinada LS as TD nominee, he lost it to the Jana Sena in the seat adjustment.
However, he “managed” to secure the resignation of another YSRC Rajya Sabha member Mopidevi Venkata Ramana. Naidu rewarded the loyalty despite heavy pressure from the party old-timers.
Highly placed sources told Deccan Chronicle that Pawan Kalyan will have to sacrifice one of his portfolios, most likely forest, as Naidu was in no mood to disturb others’ portfolios. “Both ministry and portfolios will be from the Jana Sena quota,” a top TD leader pointed out.
Nagababu was initially tipped for Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat and even rented a house before the 2024 polls. However, it was “adjusted” to BJP nominee and cash rich industrialist C.M. Ramesh. Though his brother tried to lobby for the RS seat during his recent meeting with Naidu, the latter didn’t budge and kept his promise made to Satish.
Mastan will have nearly a five-year tenure while Satish will have a term till June 2026.
The BJP, which earlier accommodated Suresh Prabhu and Nirmala Sitharaman from AP between 2014 and 2019, this time renominated the strong BC leader who incidentally served in the TD, Congress, the YSRC and now the BJP.
