Rajya Sabha papers filing from tomorrow

Hyderabad: Filing of nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections to fill six vacant seats from the state will start from Wednesday. The last date for filing nominations is January 28.

There are currently two scenarios to make the elections unanimous. Much depends on the decision of the ruling Congress party with 139 MLAs. The party might field only three candidates and leave another to the TRS as part of a confidence building measure eyeing future tie-ups.

The Congress will then win three, Telugu Desam two and the TRS one, to make the whole process unanimous. Sources in both the Congress and the TRS confirm that the parties may agree to this proposition in order to avoid a contest which may take a different turn including large scale defections. Former Congress MP Dr K. Kesava Rao is the front runner to be the TRS nominee.

However, much depends on whether the YSR Congress fields a candidate or not. If it fields a candidate like the TRS, the whole election scenario will change. YSR Congress and TRS both have 23 MLAs (including some defected MLAs from other parties) in their kitty. Both need 17 MLAs to get their nominees elected.

As far as TRS is concerned, its nominee has better chances to win. According to TRS sources, the four-member CPI and seven-member MIM will extend support to TRS so that its strength reaches 34. They only require another six and will depend on Telangana Congress MLAs with whom Dr Kesava Rao has cordial relations.

The Congress, with its 139 MLAs, can allot 40 members each to three candidates and they will be left with only 19 MLAs. With that meagre strength they cannot field a fourth candidate from the party. This was clearly explained to AICC leaders by Telangana Congress leaders and it is for them to take a final decision.

Meanwhile the Telugu Desam, which has only 74 MLAs, can win two seats provided the YSR Congress does not enter the fray. In such a case the election will be unanimous.

But if the YSR Congress decides to field its candidate and try to woo MLAs from other parties, mostly from the Congress and Telugu Desam, then an election will become inevitable.