HYDERABAD: With the election of new MLCs, the Telangana Legislative Council is set to witness more spirited debates between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS. The Congress, along with its alliance partners, now holds 16 seats, while the BRS has 19, signaling a shift in the council’s dynamics.
Several BRS MLCs have defected to the ruling Congress, and in the recent elections, the grand old party secured three seats while its ally CPI won one. The BRS managed to retain one seat.
Additionally, the ruling party had earlier nominated TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud and Balmuri Venkat under the MLAs’ quota, alongside Graduates MLC Teenmar Mallanna. It also nominated the president of its alliance partner Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS), Prof M Kodandaram as well as journalist Amer Ali Khan. These developments have strengthened the Congress-led alliance compared to its position at the time of forming the government.
With its strengthened position, the ruling party and its allies are likely to challenge the opposition on issues related to the past decade of BRS rule while defending the current government’s policies.
The presence of newly elected MLCs such as Vijayashanti, Addanki Dayakar and BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan — known for their assertive political stances — suggests that discussions in the Council could become more intense.
Vijayashanti was elected to the Lok Sabha from Medak on a TRS ticket in 2009. She is expected to take an aggressive stance against her former party, countering the opposition’s attacks, particularly those from MLC K Kavitha. The shift in numbers points to the Council becoming a key battleground in the coming days.