Purandeswari to be Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker?

Daggubati Purandeswari, Rajahmundry MP and Andhra Pradesh BJP unit President, is likely to be elevated to the post of Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker. Her expertise in parliamentary affairs and proficiency in both Hindi and English, make her a strong contender for the role.

Discussions are underway within the BJP to appoint State unit chiefs in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The party is also likely to get a new national president.

In this background, speculation is rife that the saffron party may appoint Purandeswari as the Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha once she is relieved from the post of BJP AP President. This, according to political pundits, is the BJP’s attempt to make inroads in the Southern States of India, where the party has seen little to no success.

Union Minister and Telangana BJP President Kishan Reddy is also reportedly a contender for the distinguished role.

Purandeswari, the daughter of TDP founder and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao, had switched to the BJP from the Congress following the bifurcation of the State. She has served as the Union Minister in the Congress government.

Just before the 2024 elections, the BJP appointed Purandeswari as the party’s Andhra Pradesh chief, replacing Somu Veerraju, who had been facing a barrage of corruption allegations.