TDP picks Ramesh, Kumar for Rajya Sabha polls

Hyderabad: The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Sunday announced its decision to field CM Ramesh and K Ravindra Kumar for two of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh for which biennial polls will be held on March 23.

TDP Andhra Pradesh President Kala Venkata Rao in a brief statement said sitting members Ramesh and Kumar, an advocate and part of the TDP legal cell, were nominated after the decision by the party head and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. 

Naidu held prolonged consultations with party leaders for three days before taking the final decision.

Earlier, Varla Ramaiah, seeking a ticket to the Upper House, was said to have been picked by Naidu to contest the Rajya Sabha polls. He told the media before the final announcement that "in our party, we get positions without spending money". 

Initially, the TDP was planning to field candidates for the three Rajya Sabha seats which will fall vacant on April 2.

However, in view of the changed political scenario following its withdrawal of two ministers from the Modi government, the TDP settled for two only.