Amaravati: K. Naga Babu, brother of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, filed his nomination for the Legislative Council election on March 7 as a Jana Sena Party (JSP) candidate.
Naga Babu is among the five candidates fielded by the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the election to the Council from the MLA quota, scheduled for March 10.
NDA Leaders Back Naga Babu’s Candidature
Prominent leaders, including Information Technology and Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh, BJP MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) State President Palla Srinivasa Rao, extended their support for Naga Babu’s nomination.
Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar and several JSP MLAs accompanied him as he submitted his nomination to the returning officer.
From Cinema to Politics: Naga Babu’s Role in JSP
Jana Sena Party President Pawan Kalyan had announced Naga Babu’s candidature for the MLC polls on Wednesday. The actor and film producer, who is the elder brother of Pawan Kalyan and younger brother of megastar Chiranjeevi, has been actively involved in JSP’s political campaigns.
As the general secretary of JSP, Naga Babu played a crucial role in the 2024 elections. Following his expected victory in the MLC elections, he will be inducted into the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, as announced by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
NDA’s Stronghold in Legislative Council Polls
The elections will be held for five MLC seats from the MLAs’ quota on March 10. The TDP-led NDA is poised for a clean sweep, given its strong numerical advantage in the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly:
- TDP: 135 MLAs
- Jana Sena: 21 MLAs
- BJP: 8 MLAs
With a total of 164 seats, the NDA is expected to win comfortably. The TDP is likely to allocate two MLC seats to the Jana Sena and one to the BJP.
Earlier, CM Chandrababu Naidu had allotted two Rajya Sabha seats to the TDP while leaving the third for the BJP. In a strategic political move, he also decided to include the JSP in the Cabinet, with Naga Babu becoming the fourth minister from the party, joining Pawan Kalyan, Nadendla Manohar, and Kandula Durgesh.
