Former MP B Vinod Kumar has raised concerns about the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) intentions regarding the MLC elections for two seats. He has demanded that the elections be conducted together for both seats. The need for separate notifications for electing new candidates in the positions of the two resigned MLCs, Kadiyam Srihari and Padi Kaushik Reddy, has been questioned by Vinod. In 2021, both Srihari and Kaushik Reddy were elected to the Council following a single notification. Vinod believes that conducting separate elections is not practical and may benefit the Congress party. The party will be sending a letter to the ECI regarding this matter.
According to Vinod, separate polls will allow Congress MLAs to vote separately for each of the party’s MLC candidates, increasing their chances of winning. This decision has reportedly upset the BRS, which was hoping to secure one of the MLC positions.
