With just a week left for filing nominations for the MLC elections under MLA quota, there is intense competition within the Congress party. Many contenders are vying for the opportunity to become legislators and join their colleagues who recently won as MLAs.
The Congress party is focused on the MLC elections, which will be held on January 29. After the Assembly polls, many leaders who sacrificed MLA tickets are eagerly waiting for a chance to secure a position. Muslim leaders, who have not yet received significant positions in the party, are also being considered. In Karnataka, there are 9 MLAs, including two Ministers from the Muslim community. The Congress high command will decide on the candidates before the Sankranthi festival, taking into account various factors such as caste and community.
The top contenders include former Minister G Chinna Reddy, former MLA and Dharani committee member M Kodanda Reddy, PCC senior vice president and educationist Zafar Javed, Suryapet based leader Patel Ramesh Reddy, former MLA Vem Narender Reddy, Hyderabad based businessman Ali bin Ibrahim Masqati, PCC working president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, PCC general secretary Addanki Dayakar, and PCC senior vice president G Niranjan. If the party decides to give a chance to those who lost in the recent Assembly polls, former Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir and Nampally’s Assembly candidate Feroz Khan from Muslim community are also potential candidates.
Some party members believe that at least one leader from Hyderabad should be given a seat as there is no representation from the city in the Assembly. They emphasize that Hyderabad should be prioritized in the Council elections. Having a city representative in the Council would allow them to oversee important decision-making bodies like District Review Committees (DRS).
