MLC pleas irk Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu
Pressure builds as time to fill vacancies approaches
By : u. sudhakar reddy
Update: 2014-07-30 03:42 GMT
Hyderabad: Too many claimants for the MLC seats have become a headache for TD top brass. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is under pressure as the number of MLCs, to be filled up, is less against the stiff competition for them.
As the local body polls have been completed, it was anticipated that elections would be held for the nine MLC seats, under this category. It was believed initially that under the Governor nomination, the local body and MLA quota, around 12 MLCs would be filled up. Due to technical issue, AP has to forego three MLC seats, during bifurcation, and three seats were shown more in Telangana quota. Now the state is awaiting the clarity of election authorities.
According to AP Legislative Council officials, “The total number of members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council was 90 up to bifurcation of the state. The present strength of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council is 50. The Legislative Council is a permanent legislative body and one-third of its members shall retire for every two years.”
Mr Naidu has recently written a letter to the Centre to increase the seats from 50 to 58. On the other hand the TD has promised three MLC seats to BJP, during the election pact.
Sources said that the TD may allot MLC seats promised to BJP in 2015 as one-third of the total strength would retire in 2015. Meanwhile, the ECI had announced conduct of by-election to the lone vacant MLC seat, from Andhra Pradesh, caused by the resignation of Kolagatla Veera Bhadra Swamy.
The by-poll will be conducted on August 21 and nomination process would commence on August 4. The TD which is commanding majority in the AP Assembly will bag the seat uncontested.