K Chandrasekhar Rao gifts MIM MLC seat for better ties

Hyderabad: Chief Minister and TRS Chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao has agreed to leave two MLC seats being vacated by the MIM members to the party.

The Chief Minister gave this commitment when MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi met him on Monday and formally requested him to leave the two seats.

Following Mr Rao’s commitment, on Tuesday Syed Amin Jafri, the retiring MLC from Hyderabad Local Body Constituency, filed his nomination papers before the returning officer in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Mohd. Mahmood Ali, Hyderabad mayor Bonthu Rammohan and others.

Tuesday being the last day for filing of papers, Mr Jafri would be declared elected for another six-year term after the last day for withdrawal of nomination ends. He had already served as MLC for seven years over two terms.

Though the TRS commands a majority in the electoral college of 141 members under Hyderabad Local Body constituency, it decided to leave the seat to the MIM as committed earlier by Mr Rao.

Incidentally, Mr Owaisi also requested the Chief Minister to leave another MLC seat under MLAs’ quota to the MIM. Filing of nomination papers for this seat will end on March 7.

MIM member Syed Altaf Hyder Razvi is among three members retiring from Legislative Council by March 29.

Sources in the TRS say that Mr Rao has agreed to Mr Owaisi’s request in order to strengthen the TRS-MIM ties. However, it is not clear yet whether Mr Owaisi will re-nominate Mr Razvi or pick another candidate.

With this development, of the three MLC vacancies, TRS will get two from MLAs quota. The Chief Minister has already promised to nominate V. Gangadhar Goud, who was elected on a TD ticket and joined the TRS two years ago.

Mr Rao now has to name one new candidate for the vacancy created by Congress MLC M. Rangareddy. There are more than one dozen aspirants from the TRS for this vacancy.