Telangana: Aspirants file nominations in large number for MLC elections

As per the poll schedule, the scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on Wednesday and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 26

Hyderabad: The filing of nominations for the biennial election to Telangana State Legislative Council from two Graduates constituencies of Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda, came to an end on Tuesday. All the major political parties including TRS, Congress and BJP apart from a couple of independent candidates have filed their nominations.

As per the poll schedule, the scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on Wednesday and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 26. The polling is scheduled on March 14 from 8 am to 4 pm, while the counting of votes will be held on March 17.

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All the major political parties have fielded their candidates, while independent candidates too have filed nominations in large numbers – mostly pinning hopes on the Second Preference votes by graduate voters. TRS has been way ahead of others in the game right from the beginning. Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrashekhar Rao sprang a surprise for all by fielding artist and educationist Surabhi Vani Devi for the Mahabunagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency. Daughter of former Prime Minister late PV Narasimha Rao, Vani Devi is also the only woman candidate to be fielded by any major political party in either constituency.

TRS candidate and sitting MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy from Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam constituencies has been far ahead of his opponents in terms of campaigning and had reached out to a majority of voters in his constituency. To gear up the party cadre, TRS working president and Minister KT Rama Rao is scheduled to convene a meeting with the Ministers, Parliament members, MLAs, MLCs and other elected representatives as well as the party leaders from the Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal graduates constituency, to devise the poll strategy.

Apart from Vani Devi from TRS, former Minister K Chinna Reddy from Congress, sitting MLC N Ramchander Rao from BJP, and former MLC prof K Nageshwar appear to be major candidates for the elections to the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency. Similarly, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy from TRS, Ramulu Naik from Congress, G Premender Reddy from BJP, TJS president professor M Kodandaram, and a few other independent candidates are contesting to the Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam constituency.

While more than 140 candidates are said to have filed nominations for Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency, at least 60 candidates have reportedly filed their nominations for Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam constituency. However, the officials are likely to ascertain the exact number of candidates late in the night of Tuesday as there was a last minute rush resulting in a large number of aspirants filing their nominations.

The elections were mandated as the tenure of the sitting MLCs – N Ramachander Rao from Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad graduates constituency and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy from Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal constituency, is coming to an end on March 29. Both Ramachander Rao from BJP and Rajeshwar Reddy from TRS are seeking re-election from their constituencies.

Meanwhile, senior IAS officers Harpreet Singh and Sabyasachi Ghosh have been appointed as election observers for the biennial elections being held for the Graduates constituencies of Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal respectively. The Election Commission of India has already begun making massive arrangements for both the voting as well as the counting exercises which is likely to be delayed due to usage of ballot papers during the election.

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