MLC poll to be held on March 12, election code in force in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

HYDERABAD/VIJAYAWADA: The Election Commission of India on Monday announced the schedule for the biennial election to the legislative councils in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The election will be held on March 12.

Five MLC seats each in Telangana and AP will be filled through voting by MLAs. In Telangana, MLCs Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Thiruvaragarm Santosh Kumar, Mohammed Saleem and Mohammed Mahmood Ali will retire, while in AP Ponguru Narayana, Lakshmi Siva Kumari Anguri, Pamidi Samanthakamani, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and Appa Rao Adireddy will retire on March 29.

Mahmood Ali was sworn in as minister along with Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Dec 13, 2018. In the earlier ministry, Ali was deputy chief minister holding the revenue portfolio. To continue in the ministry, Mahmood Ali will have to get re-elected as an MLC.

Poll code comes into effect in T, AP

In Andhra Pradesh, Yanamala Rarmakrishnudu holds the finance portfolio while Narayana is the municipal administration minister. Both need to be relected to continue in the cabinet. The MLC vacancies will have to be filled up by MLAs as they are in the MLA quota.

The model code of conduct has come into effect in both the states as the Election Commission of India on Monday issued notification for biennial election to the state legislative council.

This in effect means that the AP government, which is on a sop-giving spree, cannot launch new welfare schemes or development programmes.

A separate notification will be issued soon to fill up two graduates’ MLC seats. Recently, two MLCs (elected through MLAs) submitted their resignation to contest the ensuing assembly elections. Though their resignations were accepted, the EC did not take these vacancies into account while issuing the notification on Monday. Another notification is likely to be issued soon to fill up the two MLC (MLA quota) seats.