Telangana: CL Rajam, Damodar Rao emerge front-runners

Hyderabad: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the schedule for the biennial election to two Rajya Sabha seats in Telangana on Thursday, lobbying for the tickets has intensified.

The poll will be held on June 10 and the results will be announced on the same day. The notification for the election will be issued on May 24 and the last date to file nominations is May 31. The scrutiny of nomination papers and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is June 1 and June 2, respectively.

The TRS is all set to win both the seats as the Opposition parties do not have the required strength to win the election.

Sources said that the incumbent MP Captain Lakshmikanta Rao is unlikely to get a second term and another MP D Srinivas is considered to be a dissident and has been staying away from TRS activities for some time.

Sources said KCR is searching for new faces and the names of industrialists like CL Rajam and Namaste Telangana MD Damodar Rao are doing rounds. Some prominent realtors from Telangana were also in the race for Rajya Sabha seat.

Among others who are in the race are TRS leaders P Srinivas Reddy and Tummala Nageshwar Rao from Khammam. They are said to be in the good books of TRS working president KT Rama Rao. The possibility of picking up a Dalit leader is also not ruled out. In such a case, Mothkupalli Narsimhulu stands a chance.

KCR is likely to announce the names in the next week.

In all, polls will be held for 57 seats from 15 States.