HYDERABAD: TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday served a blow to the Congress by announcing TRS candidates for four MLA quota MLC seats, leaving the fifth to MIM, laying bare his intention to corner all five MLC seats for which elections will be held on March 12.
In the first major challenge for the Congress after the Assembly elections, its legislature party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy are faced with the onerous task of ensuring that the party’s candidate wins a seat.
Unlike the Rajya Sabha which has an open ballot system, no such system exists for the MLC elections under MLA quota, and so Rao is determined to defeat the grand old party in polls by ensuring at least two to three defections from the Congress to the TRS. The Congress, which has 19 MLAs and enjoys the support of two TDP MLAs, if all goes well can have one winning candidate. However, the 21 Congress and Telugu Desam Party MLAs cannot increase their tally due to lack of any supporting parties.
Home Min Mahmood Ali named for MLC seat
Thus, the Congress candidate would not be able to get second preferential votes, which will turn advantageous to the ruling TRS and MIM, which together can transfer sufficient number of second and third preferential votes to their candidates.
The TRS has 90 MLAs and MIM, seven, and will together have 97 votes. Taking this as an advantage, Rao announced four TRS candidates’ names. The pink party has decided to re-nominate Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali. Besides, KCR’s political secretary Seri Subhash Reddy’s candidature too has been announced. The MIM is yet to announce its candidate.
TRS candidates are Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali, State Mineral Development Corporation (TSMDC) chairman Seri Subhash Reddy, State Kuruma Sangham president Yegge Mallesham Kuruma and former MLA from Dornkal constituency Satyavathi Rathod.