K Chandrasekhar Rao confident of fifth MLC seat

Hyderabad: TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao nominated four candidates for the MLC polls and offered the fifth one to ally MIM, taking his battle to the Congress. The TRS needs eight more legislators to pull it off.

At least 21 MLAs’ votes are required to elect each MLC.

The TRS has 90 MLAs, the Congress 19 and the TD had two. The MIM has seven MLAs and the BJP has only Mr T. Raja Singh, who might abstain from voting.
There are reports that Telugu Desam MLA Sandra Venkat Veeraiah will join the TRS, taking the tally to 91.

Together with the MIM, the TRS will have 98 members.

This places the combination seven short of the numbers required to win all five seats.

Sources in the TRS said preferential voting plays a crucial role and Mr Rao was working out a strategy to divide the TRS and MIM MLAs into five groups and specify the order of preference which each legislator should mark.

Sources said Mr Rao had to conduct mock polling so that MLAs vote as per the preferences specified to them. This would play a key role in securing the fifth seat.

Sources in the TRS said Mr Rao was confident of winning the fifth seat and ensuring that there was no Congress representation in the Council. Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the Congress would contest the election.