Visit to Jagan pays off? YSRCP may nominate Ambani's friend Nathwani to Rajya Sabha
A visit by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy earlier this week seems to have paid off for the businessman. Sources in the YSRCP say that the party is all set to nominate Mukesh Ambani's friend Parimal Nathwani for a Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh
A two-time Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from Jharkand, Parimal was also part of the closed-door meeting between Ambani and Jagan a few days ago.
Besides being an industrialist himself, Nathwani is considered a key associate of Mukesh Ambani as he is also Group President (Corporate Affairs) of Reliance Industries. It was also speculated earlier that the BJP may have lobbied with the YSRCP to allow Nathwani to get elected as a Rajya Sabha MP on their party's ticket from Andhra Pradesh.
Other names doing the rounds for the three other Rajya Sabha seats from the state are industrialist Ayodhya Rami Reddy, who is the founder-Chairman of the Ramky Group. Agriculture Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana and MLC and Deputy Chief Minister Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose handling the Revenue portfolio.
The two ministers are being considered as the Jagan government is pushing hard to dissolve the state's Legislative Council. If it succeeds, then the two senior leaders would have to give up their posts as ministers. Both of them are known to be staunch loyalists to Jagan and the party chief it seems wishes to accommodate them by offering them Rajya Sabha seats.
There are presently four Rajya Sabha seats from the state, occupied by industrialist T Subbarami Reddy, TRS leader K Keshava Rao, Mohd Ali Khan and Thota Seetharama Lakshmi, whose tenures will end on April 9. There are a total of 11 seats in the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh.
The nomination process begins on March 6 and the last date for filing the nominations is March 13. The polling will take place on March 26 .