TDP, Cong Get Ready For MLC Polls

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), after holding a meeting on Tuesday night, decided to contest for all 3 Legislative Council seats which are up for polls on May 7.

The names doing the rounds are P Narendra Reddy (Ranga Reddy district), former mayor T Krishna Reddy and former Wakf board chairman Mohd Salim from Hyderabad. However, a final announcement is awaited.

As for the Congress, the CM K Rosaiah is currently in Delhi to discuss its candidates' list with the high command. Rosaiah has said that Veerappa Moily (AICC General Secretary In-Charge of AP), after discussions with the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, will reveal the names of the candidates soon.

Meanwhil, founder-president of Mana Party, K Gnaneswar, is said to be trying for a Congress ticket.

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Act (2005) was passed on 11 January 2006, for the constitution of a new Legislative Council in the State, comprising 90 member. Of the 90, 31 are to be elected by the Members Of Legislative Assembly, 31 from Local Authorities' Constituency, 8 from Graduates' Constituency, and 8 from Teachers' Constituency. 12 members will be nominated.

The MLC elections that were held in 2007 had filled up 75 out of the 78 seats that were electable. The 3 remaining constituencies - 2 from the Hyderabad Local Authorities' Constituency and one from the Ranga Reddy Local Authorities' Constituency - were not adequately represented by local bodies / electors of those constituencies.

Later, the Election Commission, on 6 April, announced that elections to fill up the 3 seats in the Legislative Council will be held on May 7.