Non Resident Indians (NRIs) have been showing political developments of two Telugu states for the last few decades. Particularly, both TDP and BRS have strong presence of NRI cells in several foreign countries, mobilising support of Telugu people settled there.
Even these parties are getting a good amount of funds from NRIs every year. In recent times, the ruling YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh is also focusing on NRIs support. However, in recent times they are taking part in electoral politics.
Two resourceful former NRIs, who are contesting are probably the richest candidates in the present Lok Sabha polls all over the country. While, Dr Pemmasani Chandrasekhar is contesting from Guntur Lok Sabha seat of Andhra Pradesh as TDP candidate, Konda Visveshwara Reddy is contesting as BJP candidate from Chevella of Telangana.
Chandrasekhar has emerged as the richest candidate in the country with family assets of more than Rs.5,705 crore, as per his affidavit submitted during filing nomination papers. He has been trying for a TDP ticket for a decade to contest from his native Narasaraopet Lok Sabha seat.
He has also emerged as a good mobilizer of donations to TDP from USA and some other European countries. This time TDP chose him to field from Guntur, which is considered to be one of the fortes of the party. Guntur is among three Lok Sabha seats it has won in 2019 polls against YCP wave.
After completing his MBBS at NTR Medical University of Health Sciences in 1999, Pemmasani went to the US and finished PG in Internal Medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania in 2005 and became a successful physician.
He is the founder and CEO of UWorld, an online learning platform.He and his wife are major shareholders in various companies, including Go4Funding, Pemmasani Huffman Investments, Pemmasani Interests, Aspen Publishing. Pemmansani’s family owns bonds and shares worth Rs 5550,82,38,466 in 101 public listed companies in the US.
Meanwhile, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy is not new to electoral politics. He has been contesting from Chevella since 2014. He has declared family assets of Rs 4,568 crore. First time he had won as BRS candidate, but in 2019 he was defeated with a narrow margin as Congress candidate. This time he is trying his luck as a BJP candidate.
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 Chief Minister Marri Chenna Reddy was Ranga Reddy’s son-in-law.
