The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Paka Venkata Satyanarayana for the Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh. This announcement puts an end to earlier speculation that K Annamalai, former BJP president in Tamil Nadu, would be nominated from the state.
There had been widespread talk within political circles that Annamalai would be sent to the Rajya Sabha after stepping down as Tamil Nadu BJP chief.
However, he ruled himself out of the race earlier this month. His decision came amid ongoing alliance talks with the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) in Tamil Nadu.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai and former Union Minister Smriti Irani were among the names floating around for the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by YSR Congress Party leader V Vijayasai Reddy who decided to quit politics and announced to resign as MP on January 25, 2025 on personal grounds.
The Rajya Sabha bypoll in Andhra Pradesh is scheduled for May 9. With no other candidate expected to file a nomination, his road to the Upper House seems clear.
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Following Annamalai’s withdrawal, Nainar Nagendran was elected unopposed as the new president of the Tamil Nadu BJP. He was the only leader to file a nomination for the role. Reports suggest that Annamalai himself proposed Nagendran’s name. Senior party leaders supported the nomination, leading to his smooth appointment.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised Annamalai’s work as state president. In a post on social media, Shah said Annamalai had made “commendable accomplishments”. He noted Annamalai’s efforts in taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies to the people, especially in rural areas. Shah also stated that Annamalai’s organisational skills would now be used at the national level within the BJP.
With the Andhra Pradesh Rajya Sabha nomination settled, focus now shifts to Paka Venkata Satyanarayana. He is a practising advocate and currently serves as the chairman of the Andhra Pradesh BJP disciplinary committee.
Satyanarayana hails from Bhimavaram, a town in Andhra Pradesh. With Satyanarayana being from the OBC Goud community, the BJP hopes it can also send a signal to the backward classes.
He has long been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), having joined the organisation in 1976. He became a member of the BJP in 1980, making him a veteran in the party ranks. Between 2018 and 2021, he served as the vice-president of BJP’s Andhra Pradesh unit.
His nomination is seen as a reward for his decades of loyalty and service to the party. It also signals the BJP's intent to strengthen its presence in Andhra Pradesh, a state where the party has been working to expand its influence.
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