Nagababu to Join Andhra Pradesh Cabinet as TDP Announces Rajya Sabha Candidates

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has confirmed the induction of Konidela Nagababu, Jana Sena Party (JSP) general secretary and elder brother of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, into the state cabinet. This decision comes as part of the coalition arrangement between the TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP.

On Monday night, Naidu also announced the nominations of former MP Beeda Mastan Rao and industrialist Sana Satish Babu for two of the three Rajya Sabha seats in the upcoming by-elections, scheduled for December 20. The third seat was allotted to the BJP, which has nominated former MP Ryaga Krishnaiah.

Nagababu, initially considered for a Rajya Sabha seat, chose to forgo the nomination in favor of the BJP's candidate. Naidu stated that Nagababu would soon take up the vacant ministerial position in the state cabinet. Andhra Pradesh allows for 25 ministerial positions, and with 24 already filled, Nagababu’s inclusion will complete the cabinet.

To retain his ministerial role, Nagababu must either secure election to the state assembly through a vacancy or be nominated to the state legislative council within six months, according to a senior TDP leader. Currently, JSP is represented in the cabinet by Pawan Kalyan, Kandula Durgesh, and Nadendla Manohar, with Nagababu’s inclusion filling the fourth position allocated to the party under the coalition agreement.

Regarding the Rajya Sabha seats, Beeda Mastan Rao, who resigned from his membership after defecting from YSRCP to TDP, has been re-nominated. Sana Satish has been selected to fill the vacancy left by Mopidevi Venkataramana. All three coalition candidates are expected to file their nominations on Tuesday, with their election anticipated to be unanimous due to the opposition YSRCP’s lack of sufficient MLAs to field a contender.