Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP returned to power in Andhra Pradesh with a landslide victory in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. Contesting the elections in alliance with the BJP and Pawan Kalyan’s Janasena Party (JSP), the TDP won 16 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats it contested, propelling it to a prominent role on the national stage. Here is a brief profile of all the newly elected TDP MPs who will play key roles in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has won for the third consecutive time from the Srikakulam constituency in north Andhra Pradesh, this time defeating Tilak Perada of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) by a margin of 3.2 lakh votes. The 36-year-old MBA was the national general secretary of the TDP and was its floor leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha.
His father, K. Yellan Naidu, is a senior party leader and former state and MP and served as Union Minister in the United Front government from 1996 to 1998. His uncle, K. Atchennaidu, is the state MP from Thekkali and also the TDP state unit chief.
Kalisetti Appala Naidu
Appala Naidu was surprisingly selected as the TDP candidate from Vizyanagaram constituency at the last minute by Chandrababu Naidu. The 50-year-old leader has a law degree and is a former journalist who joined the TDP 25 years ago. He was elected to the Pondurr Agricultural Marketing Committee.
In 2004, he became a member of the TDP’s Human Resource Development wing and headed the TDP North Andhra Training Centre for TDP cadres in Vizyanagaram. He trained the cadres on basic governance issues. This marked his electoral debut, in which he defeated Belana Chandrashekar of the YSRCP by a margin of 240,000 votes.
Sri Bharat Machukumiri
35-year-old Shribharat Matukumili is the chancellor of Visakhapatnam-based Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (Deemed to be University). This is his first electoral victory, having been elected from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency. In 2019, he had lost narrowly to YSRCP’s MVV Satyanarayana. This time, he defeated Botcha Jhansi, wife of former minister Botcha Satyanarayana, by a margin of over 5 lakh votes.
GM Harish Balayogi
33-year-old TDP leader GM Harish Balayogi is the son of former Speaker of the Lok Sabha late GMC Balayogi. In this election, he tried his luck for the second time from Amalapuram (SC) Lok Sabha seat. In 2019, he lost to the YSRCP candidate by 39,000 votes. This time, he defeated the party’s leading candidate R. Varaprasad Rao by a margin of over 3 lakh votes.
Putta Mahesh Kumar
Putta Mahesh Kumar (36), the first-time winner from Eluru constituency, is a businessman. He is the son of Sudhakar Yadav, TDP leader and state assemblyman from Midukur, who was the chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board of Trustees. Putta Mahesh defeated Karumuri Sunil Kumar of the YSRCP by a margin of 1.8 lakh votes.
Kesineni Sivanas
Kesineni Shivanath, popularly known as Kesineni Chinni, is the brother of two-time TDP MP Kesineni Srinivas, who is also the elected candidate from the same Vijayawada constituency. Srinivas, popularly known as Nani, had left the TDP following differences with Chandrababu Naidu and joined the YSRCP, which fielded him in the ongoing elections. However, Shivanath, who contested for the first time as a TDP candidate, defeated his brother Srinivas by a margin of 2.8 lakh votes.
Dr. Chandra Sekhar Penmasani
Dr Chandra Sekhar Penmasani, a 48-year-old physician, is one of the richest contestants with his family owning assets of over Rs 57.85 crore. After completing his MBBS from NTR University of Health Sciences in 1999, Dr Chandra Shekhar went on to complete his MD in Internal Medicine from Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania, US in 2005.
Hailing from Buripalem village in Tenali, his family has been supporting the TDP for a long time. Contesting from the crucial Guntur constituency, he won against YSRCP’s Kirali Bekata Rosaiah by a margin of 3.4 lakh votes.
Love Srikrishna Devarayar
Luv Srikrishna Devarayar was first elected from Narasaraopet constituency in 2019 with the YSRCP nomination. However, he later came into conflict with the YSRCP leadership and switched to TDP ahead of the 2024 elections. He won for the second time from the constituency, defeating YSRCP’s Anil Kumar Porvojna by a margin of 150,000 votes.
There was violence in his constituency after the polls were cast and YSRCP leaders accused him of seeking favours from the police on polling day. He has denied all the charges and accused the YSRCP of running a false campaign.
Teneti Krishna Prasad
TDP’s winning candidate from Bapatla (SC) constituency, Tenneti Krishna Prasad, is a former IPS officer and Director General of Police (DGP) of Telangana. He joined the BJP in July last year but the TDP gave him nomination for his electoral debut. He defeated Nandigam Suresh Babu of YSRCP by a margin of 2,08,000 votes.
Prasad was previously the Chairman of the Telangana State Road Safety Board and Additional Director General of the Railway and Road Safety Board. He runs an NGO called the Krishna Prasad Foundation, which mobilised medical equipment during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and worked with the American India Foundation to procure and donate critical medical equipment to hospitals. It also donated oxygen ventilators, concentrators and monitors to medical facilities.
Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy
Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, a four-time MP from Ongole, was earlier associated with the YSRCP but quit the party after his son Raghava Reddy was caught up in the Delhi excise policy case and later joined the TDP.
Raghava Reddy had switched sides in the Delhi excise policy case after which Srinivasulu was given the go-ahead to win by the TDP. The Magunta family owns Balaji Distilleries and two other companies and has been in the liquor business for over 70 years. He defeated YSRCP’s Chebbireddy Bhaskar Reddy by a margin of 50,199 votes.
By Lady Shabari, Ph.D.
Dr Byreddy Shabari was elected as the TDP candidate for the first time from Nandyal constituency, but her father Rajashekhara Reddy left the TDP to fight for a separate Rayalaseema state and founded the Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi.
Bhaireddy Shabari, granddaughter of three-time MLA and MLC Seshasayana Reddy, is currently the only woman MP from the TDP. She defeated YSRCP’s Pocha Brahmananda Reddy by a margin of 11 lakh votes.
Ambika Lakshminarayana Valmiki
Ambika Lakshminarayana Valmiki is the local TDP leader from Anantapur district and was elected for the first time by the party from the Anantapur Assembly constituency, defeating YSRCP’s Malagundla Sankar Narayana by a margin of 1.8 lakh votes.
Bastipati Nagaraju Panchalingara
Another first-time winner, Bastipati Nagaraju Panchalingara, defeated YSRCP’s BY Ramaiah by a margin of 1.1 lakh votes in the Kurnool constituency. He was formerly a lecturer in a government college before joining the BJP and entering politics in 2021. He later joined the TDP.
BK Parthasarathy
64-year-old BK Parthasarathy is a two-time TDP MP from Penukonda and a veteran TDP leader. He got the party’s nomination from Hindupur constituency even as its ally the BJP was contesting the seat. The TTD director defeated YSRCP’s J Shanta by a margin of 1.3 lakh votes.
Vemileddy Prabhakar Reddy
Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy is the founder of VPR Mining Infra Pvt Ltd. He joined the YSRCP and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in March 2018. He left the YSRCP ahead of the 2024 elections as he felt he was not getting the nomination for his Lok Sabha constituency. He then moved to the TDP and contested from Nellore constituency, defeating YSRCP leader Vijaysai Reddy by a margin of 240,000 votes.
Dagumala Prasada Rao
Mr. Daggumalla Prasada Rao is the Director of Radhey Constructions Pvt. Ltd. He is a former IRS officer.
Rao, who also won for the first time, defeated YSRCP’s N. Redeppa by a margin of 220,000 votes in the Chittoor (SC) constituency.
