Two former Telugu NRIs emerge India’s richest candidates in LS fray

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur constituency on Monday declared his family assets in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission while filing his nomination for the May 13 election.

Dubai: Two former NRIs and contenders in the Lok Sabha elections from the Telugu States have emerged among the richest candidates in the country so far. With family assets of more than Rs.5,705 crore, Pemmasani Chandrasekhar is the richest candidate in the Lok Sabha elections so far.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur constituency on Monday declared his family assets in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission while filing his nomination for the May 13 election.

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In fact, Chandashekhar had been trying for a TDP ticket for a decade to contest the parliament elections. In 2014 and 2019, he tried for Narsaraopet, his native Lok Sabha constituency, in the same district.

However, luck did not favour him in both elections. Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, the BJP candidate from Chevella Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana is the second richest contender with declared family assets of Rs.4,568 crore. The former BRS MP lost by a narrow margin in 2019 as a Congress candidate and is now in the poll fray for the third time.

Vishweshwar Reddy had worked with electrical giant GE in the USA and later set up his own business in New Jersey. He is the grandson of the late Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, the Congress leader after whom Ranga Reddy district was named.

Former NRIs Lavu Krishnadevarayulu, sitting MP from Narsaraopet of YSRCP, has now switched to the TDP and is contesting from the same seat on behalf of the TDP. Several NRIs from TDP and YSRCP are contesting for assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh as well.