Suresh Prabhu files nomination for Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh

The biennial election is slated for June 11 and in all four seats are to be filled from Andhra Pradesh

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu today filed his nomination for a Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh as the TDP-BJP alliance candidate.

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y Satyanarayana Chowdary and former state minister T G Venkatesh also filed their nominations as TDP candidates for two Rajya Sabha seats.

Accompanied by Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju, BJP's AP unit chief K Haribabu, state Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and Health Minister K Srinivas, Prabhu came to the Assembly and submitted his nomination papers to the returning officer and Legislature Secretary (in charge) K Satyanarayana Rao.

The TDP candidates paid homage to party founder president and former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao and came to the Assembly in a rally in which general secretary Nara Lokesh,state ministers Palle Raghunatha Reddy, B Gopalakrishna Reddy and others took part.

They then submitted their nomination papers to the returning officer.

While Chowdary is seeking an election to the Upper House of Parliament for a second straight term, Venkatesh is going to make his maiden entry.

Both are industrialists-turned-politicians.

In all, four seats are to be filled from AP in the biennial election slated forJune 11.

With its combined strength of 108 in the 176-member AP Assembly, the TDP-BJP combine can comfortably bag three seats while the Opposition YSRC can get one.

On the opposition's behalf, YSRC general secretary V Vijaysai Reddy has already filed his nomination.