VIJAYAWADA: Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is actively considering the name of Tollywood actor Ali for Rajya Sabha seat, according to sources.
As in the 2020 biennial poll, this time too four seats are falling vacant in AP. Sitting members V Vijayasai Reddy of YSR Congress, Suresh Prabhu, YS Chowdary and TG Venkatesh, all from BJP, are retiring on June 21. The YSR Congress has the numbers in the state assembly to win all the four RS seats unopposed.
Sources said besides re-nominating Vijayasai Reddy for the second term, Jagan is considering the name of Ali after film actor and former Union minister Chiranjeevi turned down the offer.
Jagan is also understood to have finalised the candidature of Nellore-based industrialist Beeda Masthan Rao. Masthan Rao, who was the TDP MLA from Kavali in 2009, unsuccessfully contested on TDP ticket from Nellore Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 elections. He later joined the YSR Congress and his candidature is being considered for the Rajya Sabha by YSR Congress.
There are several names doing the rounds for the four RS seats. Apart from Ali, industrialist Chalamalasetti Sunil and his brother Gopi are being considered. Ali had met the chief minister a couple of times and after his latest meeting with the chief minister, Ali claimed some big post would be announced for him.
However, there is also serious talk in party circles that Jagan is looking for an ST candidate for one of the seats.
In the last biennial poll, Mukesh Ambani had met Jagan and got the seat for his right hand man Parimal Nathwani, who was sent to the Rajya Sabha in June 2020 along with Alla Ayodhyarami Reddy, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose and Mopidevi Venkata Ramana.
