AICC to announce Telangana MLC candidates today

Hyderabad: The AICC will be announcing the names of MLC candidates under MLA quota and Governors quota today.

According to AICC sources said that the two MLC candidates under MLA quota Addanki Dayakar and Balmoor Venkat will file their nominations on Thursday. Similarly under Governor's quota the AICC has shortlisted two names, Prof Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan. Amer Ali Khan, the news editor of Siasat daily he is the son of Chief Editor of the Urdu daily Zahed Ali Khan. The latter had contested against AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for Hyderabad seat on TDP ticket for Lok Sabha in 2009 and had secured close to 2 lakh votes. The Cabinet will have to approve the names of MLC candidates under Governors quota and the resolution would then be sent to Raj Bhavan.

The AICC is also likely to announce the names of nominated posts soon. The government has to fill the posts of Chairman TSRTC, Chairman Planning Board, Chairman Civil Supplies Corporation and also advisors to Government.

Addanki Dayakar, the PCC general secretary and Balmoor Venkat, the NSUI state president have all geared up for filing nominations for the upcoming MLC bypolls under MLA quota, following party high command clearing their names.

According to party sources, after thorough scrutiny of the names provided to the party high command by the PCC it has finalised the names of the two leaders who are considered to be close aides of the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. In his latest visit Revanth Reddy who also remains at the helm of the party affairs in the State had detailed discussions with Rahul Gandhi, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party’s general secretary (org) K C Venugopal over the issue. On Tuesday, both the leaders received phone calls from the party's leadership. They were asked to prepare nomination papers filing before January 18, the last date.

These two seats fell vacant after BRS leaders Kadiyam Srihari and Padi Kaushik Reddy resigned as MLCs on December 9, following their win as MLAs in Telangana Assembly polls. Addanki Dayakar is a SC leader who has remained one of the most vocal supporters of Revanth Reddy when his rivals within the party spoke against him ever since he took charge as PCC chief. Dayakar who contested from Thungathurthy Assembly constituency from Congress ticket twice in 2014 and 2018 has lost with just a few hundred votes to G Kishore from BRS. This time the party has conferred a ticket to Mandula Samuel who won from the constituency, while denying him.

Balmoor Venkat, a Velama and doctor by profession is considered to be a furious leader representing NSUI as its state president. He has remained instrumental in holding protests across the State and particularly in the State capital and running a fierce campaign against the TSPSC following the paper leak issue both on ground and at courts. Venkat had earlier contested a losing battle at Huzurabad bypolls 2021 against the former Minister Eatala Rajender who contested from BJP, following instructions from the party leadership. His name was proposed for the MLA ticket but denied. Both the leaders come under the category of the partymen ‘sacrificing’ their tickets for greater good of the party.

Urdu newspaper editor named for Guv quota

Meanwhile the party is also likely to name the MLC candidates under Governor’s quota. Besides Prof Kodandaram, the Amer Ali Khan, the news editor of Siasat daily. He is the son of Chief Editor of the Urdu daily Zahed Ali Khan. The latter had contested against AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for Hyderabad seat on TDP ticket for Lok Sabha in 2009 and had secured close to 2 lakh votes.