Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam is now drawing up plans to further embarrass the main Opposition YSR Congress, by fielding a businessman as a candidate in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls with the support of rebel MLAs.
Unlike in other elections, a minimum of 10 MLAs (voters) should propose the name of each candidate for the Rajya Sabha. The rule has been incorporated to prevent non-serious candidates from entering the fray.
Elections to fill up four vacancies in the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pra-desh quota will be held in May. It requires around 42 votes (MLAs) to get one nominee elected in the first round of counting.
As per the strength in the Assembly, the TD-BJP combine has 106 votes and will be able to send three candidates to the Rajya Sabha while the YSR Congress, with its original strength of 67 MLAs, can send one. Normally, parties field candidates based on their respective strength, thus making the election unanimous.
However, the TD had started luring YSRC MLAs to its side and managed to get eight to switch sides, reducing the Opposition party's strength from 67 to 59 as on Thursday.
According to Telugu Desam MP C.M. Ramesh, by the time Rajya Sabha polls are over, the ruling party is “sure of getting at least another 30 MLAs who are disgusted with the functioning of its leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy”. It is common knowledge that Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to send party general-secretary V. Vijay Sai Reddy to the Rajya Sabha.
“We are planning to field another powerful candidate who can ‘convince’ more YSRC MLAs to vote for him and see Vijay Sai Reddy is defeated,” an MP close to the AP Chief Minister told this newspaper on Thursday.
As per the ruling party’s plans, those MLAs who defected to the TD but technically and legally continue to be YSR Congress MLAs will ‘propose’ the name of this businessman and vote for him.
“Since it’s an election, parties cannot issue whip to their members to vote for a particular candidate. Though an open ballot system has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha elections, there are ways to get around it,” said the MP.
