After Assembly defeat, Congress to lose in Legislative Council

Hyderabad: After its defeat in the Assembly elections, the Congress is going to face a tragic situation in the Telangana Legislative Assembly as well as the Legislative Council.

At present, the Congress has four MLCs in the 40-member council. Mr Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy resigned as MLC after he was elected as MLA from Munugodu Assembly constituency.

During the recent assembly elections, Congress MLC Damodar Reddy left the party to join the TRS.

At present the Congress is the main opposition party with four MLCs - Mr Shabbier Ali, Mr Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, Mr T. Santosh Kumar and Ms Akula Lalitha. But the first three will retire in March 2019.

So the Congress will be left with only Ms Akula Lalitha in the Legislative Council. To get Opposition status, at least four members are required from any party.The Congress got 19 MLAs in the recent Assembly elections. If they continue in the party till the Legislative Council elections, the Congress will get one seat. Even then the Congress will not get Opposition status, as it will be left with only two members.

At present, the Telugu Desam has no representation in the Telangana Legislative Council and the BJP and MIM have one member each. Elections will be held for 16 MLC seats in March 2019. The TRS has the majority in local bodies as well as in the Assembly. According to the current scenario, the TRS will win around 15 MLC seats.

During the recent assembly elections, four TRS MLCs joined the Congress. The TRS has complained about this to Council chairman Swamy Goud, urging him to disqualify them under the Anti-Defection Act. Mr Goud has issued notices to the four MLCs.

Meanwhile, former Assembly speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy, who shifted to the TRS from the Congress recently, is likely to be made the new Legislative Council chairman after Mr Goud retires in March 2019. He is likely to be sent to the Council under the MLA’s quota.