G Narayana Reddy is Congress MLC face, files nomination

Hyderabad: Congress candidate G. Narayana Reddy on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the MLC elections five minutes before the 3 pm deadline. The Congress high command confirmed his candidature only at about 2 pm.

Mr Reddy, the TPCC treasurer, filed his papers at 2.55 pm, the mahurat fixed by his family priest. He was accompanied by Leader of Opposition Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Congress MLAs D. Sudheer Reddy, A. Sakku, P. Veeraiah and J. Surender.

There are now six candidates in the fray for the five seats under the Assembly quota.

The TRS has nominated home minister Mahmood Ali, E. Mallesham, S. Subhash Reddy and former MLA Satyavathi Rathore and allocated the fifth seat to ally MIM which fielded its Dabeerpura corporator Riyaz Ul Hassan Effendi.

Given the numbers in the Assembly, the TRS can grab four MLC seats, the presence of the fifth candidate has upset Congress calculations.

The Congress has 19 MLAs and the Telugu Desam two, totalling the number to 21.

There are reports, however, that TD MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah is in touch with the TRS and is likely to join the ruling party.

Though the TRS is confident of cross-voting. Congress leaders have claimed that no party MLA would do so and that both TD MLAs would vote for Mr Narayana Reddy.

The Congress nominee requested TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to take the initiative to make the election unanimous by withdrawing a candidate. Mr Reddy said the Congress had not contested the elections to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker’s posts in the Assembly.

The polling would be held on March 12 and counting of votes would take place later in the evening.