Telangana's MLC poll schedule out, TRS may retain 18 seats

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued notification for six vacant seats under MLAs quota and also announced a schedule for 12 vacant MLC seats under nine Local Authorities’ Constituencies on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. All the 18 seats were wrested by the TRS and it will win all of them again, as the ruling party has around 90 per cent elected representatives in local bodies to elect 12 MLCs and also has sufficient strength of MLAs for six MLCs. 

According to sources, except one or two sitting MLCs in 12 seats in Local Authorities’ segments, all of them are expected to be renominated by the ruling party. TRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who is retiring along with 11 other MLCs on January 4, 2022, will be renominated to the Council again from the Nizamabad seat, if her name is not considered for the Rajya Sabha by the party. 

According to TRS sources, government Whip K Damodar Reddy may not be renominated due to his advanced age, but the TRS may consider his son. The election is scheduled for November 29 for six MLC seats under the MLAs quota, all of which will be won by the TRS unanimously. Meanwhile, for 12 MLC seats in nine Local Authorities’ Constituencies, the election notification will be issued on November 16. The last date for filing nominations is November 23. Polling will be held on December 10. The 12 MLCs from from nine Local Authorities’ Constituencies will retire on January 4, 2022.

Ballot paper to be used, says CEO

Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel said that ballot papers would be used for MLC polls of Local Authorities’ segments. The elected representatives from the local bodies would be the voters for the elections. Of the nine constituencies, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar and Rangareddy have two seats each. The CEO said that the election code came into force in all the erstwhile nine districts, except Hyderabad. As the Congress and other parties have nominal strengths, they can field their candidates. 

Polling for six seats on Nov 29

The election is scheduled for November 29 for six MLC seats under the MLAs quota. For 12 MLC seats in nine Local Authorities’ Constituencies, the election notification will be issued on November 16. The last date for filing nominations is November 23