BRS under pressure from Minorities for nomination to 2 MLC seats under Guv's quota

HYDERABAD: The BRS leadership is under pressure to nominate MLCs from the minority categories for the two seats under the Governor’s quota that will fall vacant on Saturday. The two seats are represented by D. Rajeshwar Rao, a Christian, and Farooq Hussain (Muslim).

Sources said that the chances of BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao re-nominating either of them is bleak as they have been nominated twice earlier. In fact, Rajeshwar Rao, from Nizamabad district, has served as MLC for three terms, with the first one being in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.

There are no names from the minority categories that are doing the rounds in BRS circles. Instead, the names that are propping up include former ministers Tummala Nageshwar Rao and Mothkupalli Narasimhulu, former MLC Karne Prabhakar, former MLAs Nallala Odelu and B. Bikshamaiah Goud, former chairman of Sports Authority of Telangana State (SATS) Allipuram Venkateshwar Reddy.

This is giving anxious moments to the minorities, who want the Chief Minister to consider someone from within them for the two seats.

Some minority leaders are making efforts to secure the CM’s nod. Among them is Gone Solomon Raj, president of Telangana United Christians and Pastors Association, who is said to be the frontrunner. The association has urged the BRS chief to nominate Solomon Raj, as he enjoys a good reputation in the community and is known for resolving issues concerning Christians.

The association members are meeting city BRS MLCs to garner their support for Raj’s candidature. Incidentally, former state president of All India Catholic Union, Royden Roach is also lobbying for the seat.

Some Muslim groups are demanding a Muslim nominee so that the trust reposed by the community in the BRS will be intact. They said Muslims account for 18 per cent of the state’s population but it has only a namesake representation in the Legislative Council. They said there are just two Muslim MLCs, of which one is from AIMIM; Hussain will retire on May 27.

The Cabinet meeting held last week was supposed to have approved names of two candidates and refer them to the Governor. But the Chief Minister kept it on hold, reportedly due to pressure from minority groups.

Farooq Hussain is seeking re-nomination for a third term and is lobbying hard towards that end.