Hyderabad: The Election Commission (EC) has set the process in motion for the biennial elections to the legislative council in Telangana. These elections will fill five MLC seats under the MLA quota, with the tenure of five sitting members — Mohd. Mahmood Ali, Satyavathi Rathod, Seri Subash Reddy, Mallesham Yegge, and Mirza Riyazul Hassan Effendi — set to end on March 29.
The election notification is likely to be issued on March 3, and the nomination period ending on March 10. Scrutiny would take place on March 11, and candidates can withdraw until March 13. Polling would be held on March 20 between 9 am and 4 pm, while counting will commence the same day at 5pm. The election process would conclude by March 24.
With EC announcing the schedule for the five MLC seats under the MLA quota on Monday, This possibility has prompted a competitive rush among candidates pursuing a nomination for the Upper House.
Congress leaders keen to secure a berth in the Upper House are actively lobbying for the party’s approval. Among the aspirants are former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, as well as leaders such as T Jayaprakash Reddy, R Damodar Reddy, Shabbir Ali, SA Sampath Kumar, Ch Vamshi Chand Reddy, Addanki Dayakar, and Gali Anil Kumar.
Adding to the competition, Telangana Congress media committee chairman Sama Rammohan Reddy, a trusted aide of chief minister A Revanth Reddy, has emerged as a strong contender.
The five MLC seats falling vacant under the MLA quota in March 2025 are not the only ones in play. A graduate and two teacher MLC seats would go for polls on Feb 27. With a limited number of positions and several candidates in the running, lobbying efforts are likely to grow as each contender seeks support from Congress leadership. The result would influence both the council’s makeup and the ruling party’s internal power balance.