Hyderabad: The Election Commission on Monday initiated the process of conducting polls for six MLC seats, five from AP and one from Telangana State, in the Graduates and Teachers constituencies. There are a total 29 vacancies in both the states.
Polling will take place on March 9 and counting of votes on March 15. Nominations will be received from February 13 to February 20, scrutinised the next day and February 23 will be the last date for withdrawals.
The elections have been necessitated by the retirement on March 29 of MVS Sarma, Y Srinivasulu Reddy, Dr M Geyanand (all from graduate constituencies), Vitapu Bala-subramanyam and Bachala Pullaiah (from teacher constituencies) from Andhra Pradesh and Katepally Janard-hana Reddy from the teachers’ constituency in Telangana State.
Only teachers working in government secondary educational institutions and those private institutions recognised by the government are eligible to vote in the MLC elections from the teachers’ constituency. However, oddly enough, the candidate need not be from the teaching community and need not be educated either!
Similarly, with the graduate constituency, registered graduates are eligible to vote but the candidate does not have to be a graduate.
