Chaitanya institutes chief seeks Rajya Sabha?ticket

Hyderabad: The Election Commission issued notification for Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday and the state Congress decided to get into action mode on day one itself.

Congress leaders started lobbying for tickets for Rajya Sabha polls.

PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana, finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and municipal administration minister M. Mahidhar Reddy discussed Rajya Sabha elections in the finance minister’s chambers in the Assembly.

According to them, the strength of Congress MLAs will win three Rajya Sabha seats out of six in the elections which will be held on February 7.

They had decided to field three candidates but after realising the stand of TRS and YRSC they have decided to field a fourth candidate.

According to sources, Congress and TRS will be allies for the Rajya Sabha elections. Congress will field three candidates while TRS will field one. Congress has 139 and TRS has 23 MLAs. In order to win four seats the support of 160 MLAs is necessary.

The PCC chief will go to Delhi soon to finalise candidates with the high command. It is not yet known if Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy also go to Delhi with him.

Meanwhile, PCC president told the media that he has been receiving requisitions for Rajya Sabha tickets, which he will submit them to the high command. He said  state leadership has no role in the selection of Rajya Sabha candidates. It is the high command that takes all decisions.

Congress MLC (Teachers’ constituency) K.V. Satyanarayana Raju (Chaitanya Raju), who runs the Chaitanya group of educational institutions, met the Chief Minister on Tuesday and requested him to consider his name for Rajya Sabha elections.

Speaking to the media, Chaitanya Raju said 10 MLAs are willing to propose his name but refused to disclose their names.

Chaitanya Raju’s son K.V. Ravi Varma  is also an MLC (graduates constituency).

Congress and TD leadership have expressed doubts on cross-voting by their MLAs.

The PCC president said those MLAs who are in touch with other parties, in a bid to join them are likely to cross-vote in the Rajya Sabha elections.

When asked about some Seemandhra Congress MLAs planning to defeat the party’s official candidate in protest against the high command’s decision to bifurcate the state, the PCC chief said those MLAs who have confirmed tickets from other parties will vote for candidates of the other party. But those loyal to the Congress  will not vote against the party candidate.

Since the Rajya Sabha elections are held in open ballot system MLAs  who vote against the party candidate will be identified.