Not Annamalai or Krishna Madiga, BJP picks SC leader Paka Venkata Satyanarayana for Andhra Pradesh Rajya Sabha seat

The seat became vacant after former YSRCP leader V Vijayasai Reddy resigned and was later ceded to the BJP by the Telugu Desam Party. The decision ends days of speculation over other high-profile names, including K Annamalai and Manda Krishna Madiga.

Published Apr 28, 2025 | 11:45 PMUpdated Apr 28, 2025 | 11:45 PM

Not Annamalai or Krishna Madiga, BJP picks SC leader Paka Venkata Satyanarayana for Andhra Pradesh Rajya Sabha seat

Synopsis: The Bharatiya Janata Party has named senior Scheduled Castes leader Paka Venkatasatyanarayana as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election in Andhra Pradesh, due to take place on 9 May. The decision ends days of speculation over other high-profile names, including K Annamalai and Manda Krishna Madiga. The seat became vacant after former YSRCP leader V Vijayasai Reddy resigned and was later ceded to the BJP by the Telugu Desam Party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen Paka Venkatasatyanarayana, a senior Scheduled Castes leader from Andhra Pradesh, as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election, scheduled for 9 May.

The BJP’s Central Election Committee on Sunday, 27 April, finalised Venkatasatyanarayana’s candidature, ending days of speculation that had seen prominent names such as former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi leader Manda Krishna Madiga and even former Union minister Smriti Irani in contention.

The last date for filing nominations is 29 April.

The Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant after former YSRCP leader V Vijayasai Reddy resigned in January.

The Telugu Desam Party, which effectively had the choice of candidate for the seat due to its commanding majority in the State Assembly, ceded it to the Saffron party earlier this month, in return for greater support from the Centre as Andhra Pradesh faces a fiscal crunch.

With the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for later this year, the BJP’s decision to give the seat to an SC leader is seen as an effort to consolidate its outreach among marginalised communities ahead of the polls.

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A party loyalist

Venkata Satyanarayana is currently the chairman of the Andhra Pradesh BJP’s State Discipline Committee. He previously contested the 2009 Assembly elections from the Payakaraopeta (SC) constituency and is regarded as a committed party worker with considerable influence among SC communities in the State.

Interestingly, he was among the BJP leaders from the state who had opposed the alliance with the TDP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and National General Secretary BL Santosh, he and others stated that they were not against the BJP leadership’s decision but were opposed to the selection of alliance candidates.

(Edited by Dese Gowda)

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