Date:16/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/16/stories/2008031650230100.htm

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YSR has his way in selection of RS nominees

S. Nagesh Kumar

— PHOTO: P.V. SIVAKUMAR

RS NOMINATIONS: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy blesses Congress nominee Ratna Bai, as other party candidates look on in Hyderabad on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy had his way with the Congress high command in getting the party ticket for the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha to his close political aide K. V. P. Ramachandra Rao.

Along with Mr. Rao, four other Congress nominees – Union Minister T. Subbarami Reddy, Nandi Yellaiah, M. A. Khan and T. Ratna Bai – besides, Telugu Desam Party’s Nandamuri Harikrishna filed their nomination papers on Saturday.

As there are only six candidates for as many seats, they will be formally declared elected to the Upper House on March 19, the last date for withdrawal.

It was a double delight for Dr. Reddy as the day marked completion of his 30 years as an elected representative, both as MLA and MP.

It was on March 15, 1978 that he took oath as an MLA representing Pulivendula constituency and has never lost an election since.

Nagging doubts

The Congress leadership appeared to have taken the decision to field 59-year-old Dr. Ramachandra Rao sometime ago, but withheld an announcement till the last day lest it draw flak from the anti-YSR camp. Nagging doubts about his candidature were dispelled when AICC general secretary Veerappa Moily informed partymen on the sidelines of the Jaggampet public meeting on Friday that Dr. Rao’s name had been approved.

Dr. Rao told this correspondent that he tendered his resignation as Advisor (Public Affairs) to Government, a Cabinet rank post which would render him ineligible to contest as it is an office of profit.

He said he received the high command’s green signal to contest at 9.45 on Saturday morning.

The Chief Minister’s camp claimed that M. A. Khan, former chief of Congress Seva Dal and Ms. Ratna Bai, former MLA and ex-DCC president of East Godavari, were proposed by Dr. Reddy after the AICC wanted representation for a Muslim and a woman, preferably a tribal.

Mr. Harikrishna will become the fourth member of the NTR family along with N. Chandrababu Naidu, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao (son-in-law) and D. Purandeswari (daughter) concurrently holding an elected position. Mr. Naidu ensured that three other aspirants for the TDP ticket, Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, K. Ram Mohan Rao and N. Rajakumari were present when his brother-in-law filed the nomination papers.