Congress Finalizing MLC Candidates for Upcoming Elections
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, along with the PCC core committee, is set to meet the party’s High Command in Delhi on Friday. The meeting aims to finalize the names of candidates for the upcoming MLC elections under the MLA quota.
According to party sources, the core committee has already discussed the selection of candidates and will seek approval from the All India Congress Committee (AICC). With 64 seats in the Assembly and support from ally CPI, Congress is expected to win four MLC positions, while BRS is likely to secure one. However, CPI, which had one MLA when it joined the coalition, is demanding two MLC positions but is pushing to get at least one. Additionally, AIMIM is also seeking an MLC seat, as Mirza Riazul Hasan Effendi’s term is ending. These issues will be discussed during the Delhi visit.
The party is working on a balanced approach to accommodate candidates from SC, ST, BC, upper castes, and minority communities. Several names are being considered for these categories. Among SC and ST candidates, S.A. Sampath Kumar, Addanki Dayakar, Ramulu Naik, and Bellaiah Naik are in the running. For BC representation, potential candidates include Anjan Kumar Yadav, Charan Koushik Yadav, Saritha Yadav, Sunitha Rao, Bandi Sudhakar Goud, Madhu Yashki Goud, and Konagala Mahesh. From the minority community, contenders include Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Feroz Khan, and Faheem Qureshi. Upper caste names under consideration include Jeevan Reddy, Sama Rammohan Reddy, Harkara Venugopal, and Kusuma Kumar.
The tenure of five current MLCs—Mohammad Mahmood Ali, Satyavati Rathod, Seri Subhash Reddy, Mallesham Yagi, and Mirza Riazul Hasan Effendi—will end on March 29. The election for these positions is scheduled for March 20.
Under the MLA quota system, state legislators vote to elect new MLCs. The election process will officially begin on March 3 with the release of the notification. Candidates must submit their nominations by March 10, which will then be reviewed on March 11. The deadline for withdrawing nominations is March 13. Voting will take place on March 20 from 9 AM to 4 PM, and the counting of votes will begin at 5 PM on the same day. The entire election process will be completed by March 24.
