Former Rajya Sabha member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar, who is considered a trusted lieutenant of Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is likely to get a key post at the national level, sources in New Delhi said.
According to these sources, Kanakamedala, who is also a senior advocate by profession and handled the TDP’s legal affairs for several years, is likely to be appointed as an Additional Solicitor General (ASG) by the Modi government.
Apparently, Naidu recommended Kanakamedala’s name to the ASG post during his recent interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the latter had given the nod for the same.
Hailing from Nellore district, Kanakamedala played a major role in lobbying for the TDP in New Delhi and bridging the gap between the TDP and the BJP before 2024 elections.
He expected another round of nomination for the Rajya Sabha, but Naidu promised him to see that he would get a suitable post.
Though TDP has been a key alliance partner of the BJP in the NDA government, it has not lobbied for any important nominated posts till now. In Andhra Pradesh, however, Naidu has been giving the BJP a due share in the nominated posts, as per its strength.
At the national level, however, there is a perception within the TDP that the party has not received commensurate representation in key appointments, except a couple of berths in the Narendra Modi cabinet – K Rammohan Naidu as the cabinet minister for civil aviation and Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, minister of state for rural development.
The only other post Naidu could secure from the Centre was the appointment of former Union minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju as Governor of Goa.
Party insiders now suggest that Ravindra Kumar’s elevation as ASG could follow, possibly next year, as part of a calibrated engagement with the Centre. Several other senior leaders are also understood to be lobbying quietly for nominated posts.
Rather than aggressively pursuing nominated positions, he is believed to be prioritising broader governance and policy issues, intervening on appointments only when strategically necessary.