AP Council polls: 292 out of 294 MLAs cast votes

TDP MLA Suman Rathod could not exercise her franchise while all other legislators,including nominated member Christina Lazarus,cast their votes.

Twelve candidates,five of ruling Congress,three of principal Opposition TDP and one each of Praja Rajyam,Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen,Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Communist Party of India are in the fray for the 10 seats.

While the Congress is supporting the PRP and the MIM candidates,the TDP is supporting the CPI nominee.

The TRS has only 11 MLAs in the 294-member House and can muster support of two BJP members but it requires 27 first preference votes to get its candidate Mohammad Ali elected to the Council.

The MLAs loyal to rebel leader caused some flutter in the Congress camp as they reportedly cast their first preference vote in favour of the MIM candidate though the party allotted their votes to its official nominee Mohammad Jani.

Realising this,Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy swung into action immediately and re-allotted the votes to make sure that Jani did not fall short of the required 27 first preference votes.

Kiran Reddy later told newsmen in an informal chat that Jani would face a problem only if 14 members cross voted.

“We have strategically allotted the fourth preference votes to candidates of other parties. Anyway,the poll results will not cause a Japan-like tsunami here,” he said.

The Congress re-nominated Council Deputy Chairman Mohammad Jani and sitting MLCs Paladugu Venkata Rao and Changalrayudu,who all would retire this month end after a four-year term.

Besides,it fielded Sudhakar Babu of Kurnool district as its fourth official nominee. At the last minute,it brought in former Youth Congress leader M Ranga Reddy of Ranga Reddy district as the fifth candidate.

The TDP fielded former Assembly Speaker K Pratibha

Bharati,Pulivendula leader V Satish Reddy and Gangadhar Goud for the three seats it can comfortably win.

Former MP C Ramachandraiah of PRP and outgoing MLC Altaf Hyder Rizvi of MIM are banking on the “surplus” votes of the Congress to make it to the Upper House of the State Legislature.

Lok Satta Party and CPM,which have one member each in the House,are backing CPI candidate P J Chandrasekhara Rao,a trade union leader.

Results of the poll are expected late tonight.

Kiran Reddy later told newsmen in an informal chat that Jani would face a problem only if 14 members cross-voted.

“We have strategically allotted the fourth preference votes to candidates of other parties. Anyway,the poll results will not cause a Japan-like tsunami here,” he said.

The Congress re-nominated Council Deputy Chairman Mohammad Jani and sitting MLCs Paladugu Venkata Rao and Changalrayudu,who all would retire this month end after a four-year term.

Besides,it fielded Sudhakar Babu of Kurnool district as its fourth official nominee. At the last minute,it brought in former Youth Congress leader M Ranga Reddy of Ranga Reddy district as the fifth candidate.

The TDP fielded former Assembly Speaker K Pratibha Bharati,Pulivendula leader V Satish Reddy and Gangadhar Goud for the three seats it can comfortably win.

Former MP C Ramachandraiah of PRP and outgoing MLC Altaf Hyder Rizvi of MIM are banking on the “surplus” votes of the Congress to make it to the Upper House of the State Legislature.

Lok Satta Party and CPM,which have one member each in the House,are backing CPI candidate P J Chandrasekhara Rao,a trade union leader.

Results of the poll are expected late tonight.