VIJAYAWADA: The Election Commission has sounded the poll bugle by announcing the schedule for election of seven MLCs by MLAs and nine MLCs from Local Authority Constituencies in Andhra Pradesh.
The MLCs who are retiring before March are: K Pratibha Bharathi, B Changal Rayudu, C Ramachandraiah, M Sudhakar Babu, Venkata Satish Kumar Reddy, PJD Shekar Rao and Shaik Mohammmad Jani.
The MLCs from Local Authority Constituencies retiring are: Mettu Govidna Reddy- Anantapur, Ch Narayana Reddy- Kadapa, Vakati Narayan Reddy- Nellore, Angara Ramamohan, Meka Seshubabu-both West Godavari, Boddu Bhaskara Rama Rao - East Godavari, P Viswa Prasada Rao - Srikakulam, B Naresh Kumar Reddy - Chittoor and Silpa Chakrapani Reddy - Kurnool. The TDP is expected to win six of the seven seats easily but aspirants, more than double the number of seats, are queuing up before the residence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for his blessings.
It is expected that Naidu would take his son Lokesh into the council which leaves five seats for the others for which there is intense competition, particularly from SCs. Dokka Maikya Varaprasad (Madiga) JR Pushpa Raj, Varla Ramaiha and Jupdi Prabhakara Rao (all Mala) want to enter the House of Elders but it remains to be seen who Naidu would drop assuming that he would take one from each community. Also those seeking tickets include TDP leader Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthy, B Changal Rayudu and Shaik Mohammad Jani, both of whom joined the TDP from the Congress only recently, and the Anam brothers from Nellore who also migrated from the Congress but much earlier.
The poll schedule for MLCs from Local Authority Constituencies
Issue of notification: Feb 21
Last date for nominations: Feb 28
Scrutiny: March 1
Withdrawal: March 3
Date of Poll: March 17
Counting of Votes: March 20
Date before the election should be completed: March 24.