VISHAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh BJP president and Rajahmundry MP Daggubati Purandeswari is among the probables for the post of Speaker in the 18th Lok Sabha.
According to sources within BJP, the former Union minister and daughter of TDP founder NT Rama Rao may have been excluded from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new Cabinet — sworn in Sunday — specifically to appoint her as LS Speaker.
If Purandeswari is elected LS Speaker, she will be the second Andhra Pradesh MP to hold the coveted position in Parliament. The first was former Amalapuram MP Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi, who died in a helicopter crash in 2002.
Sources said BJP believes that elevating Purandeswari to LS Speaker will also be received well by Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister-designate N Chandrababu Naidu. Notably, Naidu’s wife and Purandeswari are sisters.
As a three-time MP and current Andhra BJP chief, Purandeswari played a pivotal role in BJP’s alliance with TDP and Jana Sena in Andhra Pradesh in the 2024 election. This alliance yielded impressive results, with the NDA winning 164 out of 175 assembly seats in the state. Moreover, the alliance boasts 21 MPs in Andhra Pradesh — 16 from TDP, three from BJP, and two from Jana Sena. TDP emerged as the second-largest party in the NDA alliance, after BJP.
Prior to being elected MP from Rajahmundry in the just concluded polls, Purandeswari served as MP for Bapatla and Visakhapatnam in 2004 and 2009, respectively. She emerged as the right choice for the position of Andhra Pradesh BJP chief when the party was struggling to establish a foothold in Andhra Pradesh.
She led the party to tremendous success, with eight MLAs (out of the 10 contested seats) and three MPs (out of the six contested LS seats) in the recently held election.
An eloquent speaker, Purandeswari enjoys a positive image among different sections of society and political parties in Andhra Pradesh.
According to sources within BJP, the former Union minister and daughter of TDP founder NT Rama Rao may have been excluded from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new Cabinet — sworn in Sunday — specifically to appoint her as LS Speaker.
If Purandeswari is elected LS Speaker, she will be the second Andhra Pradesh MP to hold the coveted position in Parliament. The first was former Amalapuram MP Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi, who died in a helicopter crash in 2002.
Sources said BJP believes that elevating Purandeswari to LS Speaker will also be received well by Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister-designate N Chandrababu Naidu. Notably, Naidu’s wife and Purandeswari are sisters.
As a three-time MP and current Andhra BJP chief, Purandeswari played a pivotal role in BJP’s alliance with TDP and Jana Sena in Andhra Pradesh in the 2024 election. This alliance yielded impressive results, with the NDA winning 164 out of 175 assembly seats in the state. Moreover, the alliance boasts 21 MPs in Andhra Pradesh — 16 from TDP, three from BJP, and two from Jana Sena. TDP emerged as the second-largest party in the NDA alliance, after BJP.
Prior to being elected MP from Rajahmundry in the just concluded polls, Purandeswari served as MP for Bapatla and Visakhapatnam in 2004 and 2009, respectively. She emerged as the right choice for the position of Andhra Pradesh BJP chief when the party was struggling to establish a foothold in Andhra Pradesh.
She led the party to tremendous success, with eight MLAs (out of the 10 contested seats) and three MPs (out of the six contested LS seats) in the recently held election.
An eloquent speaker, Purandeswari enjoys a positive image among different sections of society and political parties in Andhra Pradesh.