Polls to 5 seats in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council on March 9

Amaravati: The Election Commission today issued a notification for filling up five seats in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council that fall vacant on March 29.

In all, 21 Council seats will fall vacant between March and May this year as the respective members will retire at the end of their six-year term.

As per the notification issued today, the election will be held on March 9 for three Graduates and two Teachers constituencies in the 58-member Council.

The Graduates' constituencies are Srikakulam-Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam, Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor and Kadapa-Anantapuramu-Kurnool. The Teachers' constituencies are Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor and Kadapa-Anantapuramu-Kurnool.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party has already declared candidates for three of the five constituencies. It has re-nominated sitting MLC B Pullaiah for the Kadapa-Anantapuramu-Kurnool Teachers constituency and K J Reddy for Graduates constituency.

For the Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor Graduates constituency, V Pattabhi Rami Reddy will be the TDP nominee while it is yet to decide on the candidate for Teachers constituency here.

A stalemate continues over the choice for Srikakulam-Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam Graduates constituency as the TDP's ally BJP is seeking the seat. The TDP is, however, said to be reluctant to concede the BJP's demand.

Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences Y S Chowdary is holding talks with BJP's national leaders on the issue while discussions are also on between the two parties at the state level.

The opposition YSR Congress is said to be staying away from the contest in Srikakulam-Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam. Sitting MLC from Kadapa-Anantapuramu-Kurnool Graduates constituency M Geyanand, who has the backing of the Left parties, will seek a re-election.

Similarly, the Left-supported Teachers MLC V Balasubrahmanyam will also seek re-election from Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor Teachers constituency.

The TDP currently has 23 members in the AP Legislative Council and the Congress has eight. But, by May, the Congress' tally will fall to just one seat as seven of its members are set to retire.

As the incumbent Chairman of the Council, a nominated Congress candidate, will soon be retiring, the TDP will for the first time get to claim the Chair.

The YSRC, which is the only opposition party in the state Assembly, has five members in the Council and it can hope to increase its count by three-four seats when elections to the Upper House from Local Authorities and MLAs' will be held in the second phase.