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Kalvakuntla Kavitha, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy front runners for Rajya Sabha seats

After he joined the TRS in 2012 from the Congress, Dr Kesava Rao was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in April 2014 by TRS boss K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Hyderabad: There is a question mark over Rajya Sabha member Dr K. Kesava Rao of the TRS being re-nominated to the Upper House in April this year. The other big question is who among Ms Kalvakuntla Kavitha and Mr Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy will get a berth in the Rajya Sabha.

These two questions are dogging the minds of the TRS's senior leaders and cadres in view of the retirement of Dr Keshava Rao and Mr M.A. Khan, a Rajya Sabha member from the Congress, in April this year. As the TRS has 100-plus MLAs in the Assembly, the party can get both the seats.

After he joined the TRS in 2012 from the Congress, Dr Kesava Rao was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in April 2014 by TRS boss K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, Ms Kavitha lost her Nizamabad seat and so there is speculation that she may get a Rajya Sabha seat. She has been staying away from active politics and to draw her in again the party will likely send her to the Rajya Sabha. The party has no woman in the Upper House and that may work to Ms Kavitha's advantage.

Sources in the TRS disclosed that some senior and core leaders are putting pressure on the party boss to nominate Ms Kavitha.

Mr Srinivas Reddy, former MP from Khammam, gave up his seat to Mr Nama Nageswara Rao who joined the TRS after quitting the Telugu Desam during the Lok Sabha elections. TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao is believed to have promised Mr Srinivas Reddy a good position for his sacrifice in giving up his seat.

Should Ms. Kavitha get the nomination, then either Dr Kesava Rao or Mr Srinivas Reddy will get the second berth; Mr Srinivas Reddy is said to have a better chance and Dr Kesava Rao will be accommodated in some other nominated post.

Though Ms Kavitha, Dr Kesava Rao and Mr Srinivas Reddy are the front runners, sources said that former home minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy and former Speaker K. Suresh Reddy are also lobbying for a berth.

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