Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Union Minister Vayalar Ravi deputed for MLC elections

The Congress with its 18 MLAs including an Independent can easily ensure victory for its lone MLC candidate Mrs Akula Lalitha in the very first round of counting of votes on June 1.

The ruling TRS is eyeing the defeat of the TD nominee. But when reports from state leaders reached AICC stating TRS is bent on creating a division among Congress MLAs and is trying to lure some of the MLAs, the AICC immediately deputed two senior leaders to talk to party MLAs.

Both Ghulam Nabi Azad and Vayalar Ravi reached Hyderabad on Thursday and were closeted with Congress legislators for one on one meeting at a private hotel in Banjara Hills. On Friday morning the AICC leaders will participate in the Congress Legislature Party meeting convened at Gandhi Bhavan and explain to all MLAs on the need to adhere to the party’s selection of Akula Lalitha and ensure her victory. On May 31, a day before the June 1 polling, the Congress decided to run a ‘camp’ for all legislators as a precautionary measure to avoid poaching by TRS. All MLAs should reach a private resort at Gandipet on May 31 morning to participate in mock polling for the MLC election.

They will stay put at the resort. Next day, all legislators will be taken from Gandipet Resort to the Assembly Committee Hall directly to participate in polling, said a party senior functionary. “Though it is odd for the Congress to have a camp just to ensure victory for a single MLC seat, we have decided to organise the camp to avoid our MLAs being poached by TRS,” the senior leader said.