TRS, Telugu Desam to keep off 2 MLC seats
TD president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the party would not contest these elections.
Hyderabad: The TRS in Telangana state and the Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh have decided not to contest the MLC elections to be held from the graduates and teachers constituencies.
The leadership in both these parties feels that if they contest these elections and the results are negative, it might affect poll prospects of candidates to the Lok Sabha election.
The Election Commission on Monday issued notifications for holding MLC elections in two teachers constituencies and a graduates constituency in Telangana and two graduates constituencies and one teachers constituency in Andhra Pradesh on March 22.
TD president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the party would not contest these elections. TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has taken a similar decision.
TRS sources said Mr Rao has directed the party not to give the ‘B Form’ to any candidate contesting in these elections. Mr Naidu said the TD would consider a request from any candidate who approaches the party for support.
In Telangana, Legislative Council Chairman K. Swamy Goud, who was elected from the Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar graduates’ constituency, completes his term on March 29 along with Mr Paturi Sudhakar Reddy, who was elected from the teachers constituency representing these four districts and Mr Poola Ravinder, who was elected from the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda teachers constituency.
In Andhra Pradesh, the term of Mr Kalidindi Ravikiran Varma and Mr Boddu Nageswara Rao, elected from the graduates constituencies, and Mr Gade Srinivasula Naidu from the teachers constituency, will retire on March 29. Elections to these six constituencies will take place on March 22 for which filing of nominations started on Monday.
It is learnt that Mr Sudhakar Reddy and Mr Ravinder will contest again from these constituencies and the TRS will extend them support.
Mr Goud is not interested in contesting from his graduates constituency and may be nominated as MLC from the Governor’s quota.
Mr M.S. Prabhakar Rao, who was elected from the Hyderabad local authorities constituency, will retire on May 1 and elections are being held for this seat too on March 22. The TRS is likely extend support for Mr Prabhakar Rao.