HYDERABAD: With the terms of six Members of the Legislative Council set to end soon, ticket aspirants from the ruling Congress and the Opposition BRS are intensifying their efforts to get the party nomination in their favour.
Five MLC seats under the Legislative Assembly quota and one seat from the Hyderabad Local Authorities constituency will fall vacant in March and May 2025. This development has sparked a race among aspirants vying for these coveted positions.
The election for the MLAs quota MLC polls, if required, will take place on March 20 as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission on Monday.
The newly elected MLCs for the five vacant positions must be sworn in as members before March 29, while the sixth vacancy will be filled in May 2025.
From the BRS, four MLCs, including one MLC who defected to the Congress, and one from the AIMIM will be vacating their seats. The outgoing members include Seri Subhash Reddy, Satyavathi Rathod, Mahmood Ali, Yegge Mallesham and Mirza Riyaz-ul-Hassan. Additionally, MS Prabhakar Rao from the Hyderabad Local Authorities will vacate his seat in May 2025.
Sources said that based on the current strength in the Legislative Assembly, the ruling Congress is likely to secure four MLC seats, while the BRS may win one.
Former chief minister and BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao may offer another term to Satyavathi Rathod.
Competition between seniors, young leaders
Meanwhile, within the Congress, there is intense competition among senior leaders and younger aspirants.
Notably, BC leaders are exerting pressure on the PCC leadership to allocate at least two seats to their community, citing their majority status in the state as per the recent caste census conducted by the state government.
On the other hand, leaders from other castes, as well as those from minority and SC/ST communities, are actively lobbying for their share of representation. They are engaging with the chief minister, TPCC leadership and senior ministers to secure tickets.
According to party sources, Graduates’ MLC from North Telangana, T Jeevan Reddy, is expecting a nomination from the MLAs’ quota this time.
Meanwhile, leaders such as Addanki Dayakar, Faheem Qureshi, Ayodhya Reddy, Charan Koushik Yadav, Sama Rammohan Reddy and Jagadeeswar Rao are also in contention.
Discussions within the party’s core group, extending to the AICC level, include the name of senior leader and former minister K Jana Reddy. TPCC former working president and Kamma community leader Jetti Kusuma Kumar is also being considered at the AICC level.
Former minister and adviser to the government Md. Ali Shabbir’s name too is reportedly being discussed within Gandhi Bhavan circles.
Meanwhile, former MP and Campaign Committee chairman Madhu Yaskhi is being considered for a Cabinet position as the party looks to accommodate senior leaders from the BC category.
The final decisions on nominations and Cabinet positions are expected to be made after consultations at the AICC level.
Congress may strike a deal with AIMIM
Additionally, there are discussions about the AIMIM seeking one MLC seat from the Congress, as their sitting MLC will vacate a position in March. If the Congress agrees to this request, it will further increase the pressure on the leadership to accommodate multiple aspirants within the three available seats, with one potentially going to the AIMIM.
Sources suggest that the Congress may allocate the Hyderabad Local Authorities MLC seat to the AIMIM in exchange for its support in the MLAs’ quota MLC elections.
The final selection and shortlisting of candidates are expected to be sent to the AICC once the new in-charge for Telangana, Meenakshi Natarajan, arrives in the state.
A detailed discussion will take place, considering earlier promises or assurances made to leaders. The final decision will involve consultations with the chief minister, TPCC, Cabinet members and the Political Affairs Committee of the TPCC.