Richest MP Who Once Led TDP in Lok Sabha Elected as TRS Leader in Lower House of Parliament

Hyderabad: Nama Nageswara Rao, one of the richest Indian politicians who was once the voice of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the Lok Sabha would now be leading the party formed by TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s bete noire in Parliament.

Nageswara Rao was on Thursday elected floor leader of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the Lok Sabha.

The election of Nageswara Rao as TRS leader in the lower House of Parliament puts an end to speculation about who would get the post.

Known for his flair in English, Hindi and Telegu, he was the TDP's parliamentary party leader from 2009 to 2014.

He joined the TRS on the eve of the just-concluded Lok Sabha election and defeated senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Renuka Chowdary in Khammam.

Nageswar Rao, who is a promoter of Madhucon Projects Private Limited, had declared assets worth about Rs 113 crore ahead of the election.

Thursday’s unanimous election took place at a meeting of TRS Parliamentary Party chaired by TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, an official release said.

Senior leader K Keshava Rao, a Rajya Sabha member, was re-elected as TRS Parliamentary Party leader.

Zaheerabad MP BB Patil would be TRS Whip in the Lok Sabha, while Medak MP K Prabhakar Reddy would be the deputy floor leader in the lower House of Parliament.

Banda Prakash Mudiraj would function as deputy floor leader in the Rajya Sabha, while J Santosh Kumar would be TRS whip in the upper House.

The TRS has nine members in the Lok Sabha and six members in the Rajya Sabha.

Details about election of the parliamentary party leaders have been forwarded to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi through a letter by the chief minister.

The meeting discussed the party’s strategy to be adopted in the coming Parliament session.

AP Jithender Reddy was TRS leader in the previous Lok Sabha. He quit the party after being denied ticket in the Lok Sabha polls and joined the BJP.

B Vinod Kumar, who was his deputy, lost the election from Karimnagar.

KCR’s daughter and sitting MP K Kavitha was defeated in the Lok Sabha election from Nizamabad.