Telangana: MLC aspirants keep fingers crossed

Hyderabad: Tension is mounting among the aspirants for six MLC seats under MLAs' quota as the TRS party is likely to announce the names on Monday.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is said to be giving final touches to the list of names ensuring that the caste equation is maintained. Tuesday is the last day for filing the nominations.

Sources said that the names of former Chairman of Legislative Council Gutha Sukhender Reddy and former Assembly Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary has been confirmed. Though the name of M C Koti Reddy is also making rounds, it remains to be seen if KCR would accommodate two persons from the same district. KCR had promised MLC ticket to Koti Reddy during Nagarjuna Sagar by-election.

Sources said that the name of Padi Kaushik Reddy would be removed from the Governor's quota as it was kept aside by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and he would be sent to the Council under the MLAs' quota.

Among the front runners are BC leaders L Ramana, sitting members Bodakunti Venkateshwarlu and Akula Lalitha. Lalitha, is expecting another term as TRS member. Under the SC category there is a tie between former minister Kadiyam Srihari and former SC/ST Commission Chairman Erolla Srinivas. Sources said that the party may ask Kadiyam Srihari to contest the next Assembly election from Station Ghanpur and ask Erolla Srinivas to contest for the Council. Under the ST category, the name of former MP Sitaram Naik was doing rounds.