All set for Rajya Sabha polls, Telangana Rashtra Samithi to win all seats

Hyderabad: This is the first time since the formation of Telangana State that polling will be held for election to the Rajya Sabha. Four candidates will be standing for three Rajya Sabha seats in the elections to be held on Friday. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti will get all three as it has sufficient number of MLAs in the House; the Congress only has 11 and needs 50 to get a member elected. In the Rajya Sabha elections, MLAs are free to vote according to their choice, without attracting the penalties of the anti-defection law. There is no provision of issuing a whip to MLAs either.

The TRS candidates are Joginapally Santosh Kumar, B. Lingaiah Yadav and B. Prakash. The Congress has fielded P. Balaram Naik. In the 119-strong TS Asse-mbly, the TRS has about 91 MLAs and the MIM, which has assured support, has seven MLAs. Each candidate requi-res the support of 30 MLAs. The TRS will thus easily get all its three candidates elected. The Congress has just 11 MLAs.
The TD, CPM and the BJP have decided not to participate in the elections.

The process of Council elections from the assembly quota???? and Rajya Sabha elections is entirely different. In Rajya Sabha elections political parties cannot issue a whip asking their MLAs to vote for a particular candidate. They can issue instructions, and it is left to the party concerned to take action if an MLA defies the party's instruction. The errant MLA can be expelled from the party and a letter is given to the Speaker in this regard. The expelled MLA will then be declared as an unattached member, but his membership of the assembly cannot be taken away.

In Council elections political parties can issue a whip and if the MLA defies the party whip he will attract the anti defection law. The council and assembly elections follow the secret ballot system while in the Rajya Sabha elections it is open ballot system. Here, the voter (MLA) has to show the ballot paper to the official agent of the party and then cast his vote. If the vote is not shown, it is considered invalid. In the council elections from assembly?? if the voter shows his ballot paper his vote will be considered invalid.