3 MLCs for Congress; CPI, BRS to take 1 each
Three Cong and one each from MIM and CPI make it to Legislative Council
HYDERABAD: Five candidates, including three from Congress and one each from its ally CPI and the BRS, filed their nominations for the MLC elections under the MLAs’ quota on Monday, the last day for submitting nominations. All five will be declared elected unopposed on March 13, deadline for withdrawal of nominations, making the March 20 election infructuous.
Congress and CPI candidates submitted their nominations in the Assembly amid fanfare, in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, TPCC chief B. Mahesh Kumar Goud and party leaders, BRS candidate Dasoju Sravan Kumar filed his nomination, backed by party working president K.T. Rama Rao, former minister T. Harish Rao, and other leaders.
Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, and Mahesh Goud handed over B-forms to Congress candidates Addanki Dayakar, Vijayashanti, and Kethavath Shankar Naik, while CPI leaders handed over the B-form to their nominee Nelikanti Satyam Yadav.
The BJP, with eight MLAs, and AIMIM, with seven, are not able to field candidates of their own, as each party needs the support of at least 10 MLAs to nominate a candidate.
The current strength in the current 40-member Legislative Council is: BRS 25, Congress 4, AIMIM 2, BJP 1 and two independents. Additionally, six MLCs were nominated by the Governor on the recommendation of the state government — four during the BRS regime and two by the Congress government.
Following defections to the ruling party by BRS members, the latest standing in the Council is: Congress seven (as per legislature records); BRS (21, as per legislature records, while the actual strength will be 13); BJP three; AIMIM and CPI one each.
Speaking to the media after submitting her papers, Vijayashanti said that her candidature was a recognition of her unwavering commitment to the Telangana statehood movement and her role in strengthening the Congress.
"I fought relentlessly for statehood and I was the party’s star campaigner in the 2018 and 2023 Assembly elections. This recognition is an honour," she said.
Dayakar highlighted the party’s focus on social justice, which, he said, was evidenced by the selection of SC, ST, and BC candidates.
