VIJAYAWADA: The Opposition TDP, which fielded its candidate for the MLC election under the MLAs’ quota, has issued a whip to all the 23 members of the party. Election to seven MLC posts under the MLAs’ quota will be held in the Assembly Committee Hall on March 23. Counting of votes will be held on the same day from 5 pm.
TDP MLA and Whip in the Assembly Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy issued the whip, directing the party MLAs to cast their votes in favour of TDP candidate Panchumarthi Anuradha.
According to officials, 22 to 23 votes are required for each MLC candidate to win the election. Though the TDP has a strength of 23 MLAs technically, four of them are supporting the YSRC.
Hence, the TDP issued the whip to ensure that the four MLAs fell in line. The TDP is also hopeful that YSRC rebel MLAs Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and some other MLAs, who are dissatisfied with the functioning of the YSRC government may vote for the party candidate in the MLC poll.
The YSRC fielded seven candidates for the seven vacant MLC posts. Though the election of the YSRC MLC candidates was expected to be unanimous given the strength of 151 MLAs out of the total 175 in the State Assembly, the opposition TDP entered the fray, necessitating the election.