Suresh Prabhu, Y S Chowdary file nomination for RS from AP

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today filed the nomination to the Rajya Sabha biennial election from Andhra Pradesh as a BJP nominee, supported by NDA partner TDP.
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary and former Andhra Pradesh minister T G Venkatesh also filed their nomination papers at the AP Legislature here as TDP nominees.
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.
The Rajya Sabha election nominees were accompanied by Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju, TDP General Secretary N Lokesh, son of party supremo and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and AP BJP president K Haribabu.

The election, slated for June 11, is being held to fill four vacancies from AP.

With its combined strength of 108 in the 176-member AP Assembly, the ruling TDP-BJP can comfortably bag three seats.
TDP has given one seat for ally BJP, which is part of the N Chandrababu Naidu government in the state.
The opposition YSR Congress has fielded its leader Vijaysai Reddy as its nominee for the sole seat it can win.
Noting that he is happy and excited to be nominated from AP, Prabhu expressed hope to work together with TDP for development of the state.
"As we know, it (AP) is one of the most dynamic states in the country, fast progressing under the leadership of another dynamic Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. So we are very hopeful that we together will be able to build a model Andhra Pradesh...," Prabhu said.

Recalling that he has been an MP from Maharashtra and Haryana earlier, he said he belongs to the country in true sense of term as he would be representing a southern state (AP) now.
Observing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's theme is 'sab ka sath-sab ka vikas', he said faster development of AP would lead to faster development of the country.
Asked about the railway zone promised to AP during bifurcation, Prabhu said he cannot talk about railway issues as the process of election is on, but added that all-round development of the state would be his endeavour.
Lokesh said the party is happy to nominate Suresh Prabhu to the Rajya Sabha from AP, as per the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

Chowdary and Venkatesh vowed to work for AP's development.