The process for elections to the legislative council in Telangana expedited as Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy along with the PCC core committee is scheduled to meet the Congress high command during the weekend and finalise the names of MLC contestants.
The election is necessitated under the MLA quota. With 64-seats in the Telangana Assembly, besides one MLA of CPI as an ally, Congress is likely to win four under quota, while the BRS will get one. The other party AIMIM is seeking one position which is being vacated by Mirza Riazul Hasan Effendi.
With the tenure of five MLCs in state concluding on March 29, the elections are scheduled to be held on March 20. MLA quota in MLC elections are conducted to elect members through voting by state legislators.
Sources said party which came to power first time in the state after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh about 11 years ago is to do a balancing act for four MLC seats with SC, ST, Backward Class, upper castes and minority categories.
Front runners amongst the backward class are Anjan Kumar Yadav, Bandi Sudhakar Goud, Madhu Yashki Goud, Charan Koushik Yadav, Saritha Yadav, Sunitha Rao, amongst others. Whereas from minority several contestants including Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Feroz Khan, Faheem Qureshi are doing the rounds.
State political sources said while SA Sampath Kumar, Addanki Dayakar, Ramulu Naik, Bellaiah Naik are few names being considered from the SC and ST category, Jeevan Reddy, Sama Rammohan Reddy, Harkara Venugopal, Kusuma Kumar are big name from within the upper caste.
AICC sources said Bandi currently State Congress Spokesperson is one the strongest candidates as he has served several former Congress CMs, Union Ministers in his Congress worker spanning for over 35 years.
The notification to this affect was issued on March 3 and candidates will have to submit their nominations by Macrh 10 and scrutiny on March 11. The withdrawal of nominations has to be completed by March 13 and polling scheduled on March 20. The entire election process is set to conclude by March 24.