YS Vivekananda Reddy, who lost the Assembly by-election in Pulivendula in May last year to his sister-in-law Vijayamma, has now set his sights on Rajya Sabha membership.

He made a request to this effect to party president Sonia Gandhi when he met her in Delhi on Monday.

Describing his meeting with Sonia Gandhi as a courtesy call, the former agriculture minister said: "I thought I would be in a better position to be of use to the party and the people if I have some position.

If I lost the byelection last year it was because of the sympathy wave in favour of my brother the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy. Now the party is very strong in Kadapa," he said.

Vivekananda Reddy's request is being viewed as well-timed since the party is trying to mobilise all its forces to face the by-elections for three Assembly seats in Kadapa district as the sitting Congress MLAs are facing the prospect of disqualification. The three seats that might fall vacant are: Railway Koduru, Rajampet and Rayachoti.

Vivekananda Reddy was roped into the Kiran Kumar Reddy cabinet more than a year ago to dent Jagan Mohan Reddy's support base. When Jagan Mohan Reddy and his mother Vijayamma resigned and formed YSR Congress Party, Vivekananda Reddy resigned as minister and contested against Vijayamma but lost his security deposit in the byelection. Ever since, he has been keeping a low profile.