BJP: Gautam Rao For Hyderabad Local Bodies MLC Seat

Senior BJP leader Dr N Gautam Rao has been officially declared as the party's candidate for the Hyderabad Local Bodies MLC seat, according to a statement released by the BJP.

The candidature of Rao, a former BJP Hyderabad Central district president, comes in the wake of the Election Commission's notification to fill the seat currently held by MLC Prabhakar Rao, whose term ends on May 1.

The election schedule, released by the Central Election Commission, is as follows:

- Notification on March 28
- Nominations accepted on April 4
- Scrutiny of nominations on April 7
- Withdrawal of nominations until April 9
- Polling on April 23 from 8 am to 4 pm
- Counting of votes on April 25, with results declared the same day

Meanwhile, the AIMIM has nominated Miza Riyaz-ul Hassan Effendi, a former MLC, as its candidate for the same seat.

Effendi previously served as corporator from Noor Khan Bazaar in 2009 and Dabirpura in 2016. In 2019, he was elected as an MLC under the MLAs' quota. His term ended in 2023, and the AIMIM has once again fielded him as an MLC candidate, this time for the Local Bodies MLC seat.

Both BJP's Gautam Rao and AIMIM's Effendi have filed their nominations. In total, four nominations have been submitted so far, including those of two independent candidates.

The BJP's decision to field a candidate comes at a time when the AIMIM is expected to secure a win with potential Congress support. With the BJP's entry into the race now, an election is inevitable.