The Telugu Desam Party which had, for the first time since its inception, lost a representation in Rajya Sabha for the last one year, has now got an opportunity to make a re-entry into the Upper House.
The Election Commission (EC) released the schedule on Tuesday for elections to fill three vacant seats caused by the resignations of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) members Beeda Mastan Rao, Mopidevi Venkataramana, and R. Krishnaiah.
As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the notification for by-elections will be issued on December 3.
The last date for filing of nominations will be December 10. The scrutiny of nominations will be taken up the next day while December 13 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidatures.
The polling, if necessary, will be held on December 20 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The counting of votes will be taken up the same day.
Venkataramana Rao’s term was up to June 21, 2026, while the term of the other two was to end on June 21, 2028.
Sources indicate that Nagababu from Jana Sena and Kiran Kumar Reddy from BJP are almost certain to fill these positions.
Other notable names in the running include Galla Jayadev, Kanakamedala, Yanamala, Varla and Ashok Gajapathi Raju, though their chances remain uncertain.
Andhra Pradesh has a total of 175 Assembly seats, of which the NDA alliance candidates won a resounding 164 seats in the last elections. The YSRCP failed to even secure opposition status.
To win a single Rajya Sabha seat, the support of at least 25 MLAs is required. Currently, YSRCP has only 11 MLAs, leaving the party without any chance to contest in the Rajya Sabha elections.
The three vacant Rajya Sabha seats are almost certain to be secured by the NDA alliance.