HYDERABAD: As expected, the ruling TRS fielded P Venkata Rami Reddy as its candidate for the MLC polls, a day after his resignation to the All India Services (AIS). But the surprise element is that the TRS also decided to send Rajya Sabha member Banda Prakash to the Legislative Council. The moot question now is whether TRS MLC K Kavitha will be sent to the Rajya Sabha, the bypoll for which is expected to be held in May/June, 2022.
As many as seven TRS MLCs demitted office in June this year, six from MLAs category and one from Governor’s quota. Of these, the TRS has retained two MLCs Gutha Sukhender Reddy and Kadiam Srihari and dropped five others including former Deputy Chairman of the Council Neti Vidyasagar.
Former chairman of the Legislative Council, Gutha Sukhender Reddy, former Deputy Chairman Neti Vidyasagar, Kadiam Srihari, Akula Lalitha, Mohd Fareeduddin and Bodakunti Venkateshwarlu retired from MLAs quota in June this year, whereas Prof M Srinivas Reddy retired from Governor’s quota.
Padi Kaushik in MLAs quota
Though the ruling party recommended the name of Huzurabad TRS leader Padi Kaushik Reddy to the Council under Governor’s quota, the Raj Bhavan has held back the file for over three months now. Thus, the ruling party has decided to send Kaushik Reddy to the Council under MLAs category. Besides, the TRS also cleared the candidature of Takkellapalli Ravinder Rao.
Two Rajya Sabha members of TRS, V Lakshmikantha Rao and D Srinivas, are going to retire on June 21, 2022. The bypoll for the seat, which will be vacated by Banda Prakash, too is expected to be conducted along with those two regular vacancies.
Thus, the TRS will get three RS seats in June, 2022. Apart from Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha, the name of Assembly former Speaker Sirikonda Madhusudhana Chary is also doing the rounds for an RS seat. The TRS may not renominate D Srinivas to the RS, as he has not been active in the TRS for sometime now.
Eatala’s replacement?
When Kadiam Srihari was a Lok Sabha member from Warangal, he resigned in 2015 on the CM’s directions and was sent to the Legislative Council. Later, he was inducted into the Cabinet and made the Deputy Chief Minister. On similar lines, Banda Prakash too has been asked to resign as an MP, two years ahead of his tenure, and is being sent to the Council. Former Minister Eatala Rajender and Banda Prakash belong to the Mudiraj caste. The buzz in the party circles is that Banda Prakash may be inducted into the Cabinet in Rajender’s slot. If Prakash is made deputy chairman of the Council, then Venkata Rami Reddy may be inducted into the Cabinet.
Unanimous election
Though two more Independents along with six TRS candidates filed their papers on Tuesday, the ruling TRS party candidates will be elected unanimously. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on Wednesday. After the last date for withdrawal of the nominations, the TRS candidates will be declared elected unanimously.
Chairman Gutha
As Sukhender Reddy is being sent to the Council again, he may be selected for the chairman post for the second time.
Notification issued
Notification for 12 vacant MLC posts under Local Authorities’ segments was issued on Tuesday. Polling will take place on December 10. As the Opposition parties, too, have strength in local bodies to file the papers, an election will take place. However, the ruling TRS is expected to bag all the 12 seats, because it has a majority number of voters in local bodies.