Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is said to have decided to fill up the two MLC seats that fell vacant recently — one in the nominated category and the other in the MLA quota — with the disqualification of Mr Ramulu Naik and Mr Yadav Reddy.
On a complaint from the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, the Legislative Council Chairman had disqualified two party MLCs Mr R. Bhupathi Reddy and Mr K. Yadav Reddy and nominated member Ramulu Naik, following their defection to the Congress during the Assembly elections in 2018.
The trio moved the High Court challenging the orders of the Council Chairman. The court recently upheld the order of the Council Chairman against Mr Yadav Reddy and Mr Naik. The court adjourned the case of Mr Bhupathi Reddy as he has challenged the validity of Para 8 in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which is referred to as the anti-defection law.
The High Court has asked the Election Commission to wait till July 15 for the issue of the election notification to the two MLC seats as both petitioners sought time to move the Supreme Court.
In this background, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao is said to have been looking at names of probable leaders for nomination to the two seats. As far as the seat under the Governor’s quota is concerned, the Cabinet has to recommend the nominee to the Governor.
For the seat under the MLC quota, the EC has to conduct the election. In view of Mr Rao’s decision to fill both seats, speculation has started in the party leaders about the probables for the posts and the nomination of former TRS MP K. Kavitha to one of the seats.
Sources in the party disclosed that the Chief Minister was considering the names of Mr Deshapathi Srinivas, officer on special duty in the Chief Minister’s Office, for the nominated seat under the Governor’s quota. Party senior leaders said there were few chances of Mr Rao considering the name of Ms Kavitha for either of the two seats.
Sources reminded that Mr Rao had promised a Council seat to Mr Gutta Sukhender Reddy during the Parliament elections when the latter’s name was not considered for the Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat.
When the elections were held in May this year for three MLC seats under the local authorities constituencies’ quota, Mr Rao is said to have asked Mr Sukhender Reddy to wait for his turn under the MLAs quota. In view of his promise, party sources pointed out that Mr Sukhender Reddy will likely be nominated under the MLAs quota.
