Jagan has said that Nathwani, with Ambani’s help, would attract investments into Andhra Pradesh.
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress supremo Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has obliged Reliance group boss Mukesh Ambani and nominated two-term Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani for one more term from Andhra Pradesh. Till now, Independent MP from Jharkhand, Nathwani, however, will now be a member of YSR Congress in the Upper House.
Though Nathwani’s election to Rajya Sabha is just a formality along with three others of YSR Congress, they will have to wait for counting of votes on 26 March, as polling is forced due to the presence of TDP candidate Varla Ramaiah as the fifth contestant to the four vacancies from Andhra Pradesh. TDP has only 23 MLAs in the 175 member-strong Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The rest are YSR Congress MLAs, along with a Jana Sena member.
Jagan has surprised one and all in political circles by nominating Nathwani, the 64-year-old top honcho of Reliance Group, at the request of Ambani, who travelled from Mumbai to Amaravati two weeks ago for this purpose. Ambani has huge business interests in the oil and gas fields of Krishna-Godavari basin in Andhra Pradesh, apart from other sectors like retail and telecom.
Nathwani, who got his MBA in 2006, originally a Gujarati, is from Mumbai and joined the Reliance Group way back in 1995 and looks after its corporate interests. Nathwani first entered the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand in 2008 as an Independent with the support of the then BJP government in the state. Later, he got another term as an Independent in 2014.
This time too, Nathwani wanted to be an Independent member from Andhra Pradesh, but Jagan insisted that he should join YSR Congress to get his Rajya Sabha ticket. Nathwani flew down to Amaravati two days before the last date for filing of nominations, 13 March, and formally joined the ruling party. He thanked Chief Minister Jagan and promised to strive for the development of Andhra Pradesh.
Besides Nathwani, Jagan has nominated Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy, another industrialist whose companies include pharmaceuticals to infrastructure, and two of his ministers—Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose and Mopidevi Venkata Ramana—for Rajya Sabha seats. The ministers, YSR Congress MLCs, are sent to Rajya Sabha as Jagan’s government has recommended to the Centre to abolish the Legislative Council.
There was a demand from within the ruling party for fielding Jagan’s younger sister Y.S. Sharmila to the Upper House. Sharmila is one of the leading lights of the party and campaigned hard for Jagan’s victory in the last 10 years.
Though Sharmila said several times that she was not interested in any elected posts, a section of leaders pressed for a Rajya Sabha seat. However, Jagan kept her out of Rajya Sabha for now.
Both the ministers tipped to become Rajya Sabha MPs belong to OBC community and are staunch loyalists of Jagan right from the days of his late father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. When the question of abolishing the Council came two months ago, the Chief Minister had promised that the two ministers would be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha while other members would be rehabilitated suitably.
The nomination of Nathwani has surprised the party seniors who thought that Jagan might not be ready to send a rank outsider to the Rajya Sabha on a party ticket. But, after week-long internal deliberations which Jagan had with some seniors, now they are of the view that Nathwani’s entry into the party as an Rajya Sabha MP would be beneficial to the party in many ways.
Nathwani, a man of many hats—former office bearer of Gujarat Cricket Association and former chairman of Dwarakadheesh temple trust board and director or key member of several other trusts and bodies in many states—is known for his high-level contacts in national politics. Jagan is understood to have told his senior colleagues that Nathwani with the help of Ambani would attract investments into Andhra Pradesh.
Jagan is now also facing several legal cases and financial investigations by the Central agencies. The Chief Minister’s relationship with the BJP top brass at the Centre can be called choppy. At a time when former Chief Minister and TDP president Chandrababu Naidu is trying discreetly to enter into an alliance with BJP in Andhra Pradesh, Jagan needs someone who can build bridges with the BJP’s top leadership.
Nathwani is expected to play that role. Jagan is also working hard to prove his government is pro-business and pro-investors.
His decision to go for three capitals instead of one single one at Amaravati and to set up the executive capital at Visakhapatnam was criticised by Chandrababu Naidu as an anti-investments measure. Nathwani’s entry as YSR Congress MP would help remove that impression.