KCR begins exercise to fill vacant 3 MLC posts

Hyderabad: With the term of three BRS MLCs, Naveen Rao, A Krishna Reddy and Gangadhar Goud, under the MLA quota ending in March, party president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has begun the exercise to fill the vacant posts.

Several senior leaders are vying for the posts, including D Sravan, former Legislative Council chairman Swamy Goud, ex-MLA Bikshamiah Goud and former minister Tummala Nageswar Rao.

Sources said that there is a big list of leaders who are expecting the council berth as they feel deprived of tickets in the 2014 general election, 2018 Assembly polls as also the 2019 Lok Sabha. Caste and religious equations are going to play a big role in the allocation of the Council seat.

The term of two more MLCs nominated under Governor quota – D Rajeswhar Rao and Farooq Hussein will end in May.

The BRS chief is likely to give another chance to Naveen Rao, who is from the Velama community. KCR wants to maintain religious equations as well and is likely to continue the Christian representative Rajeshwar Rao. Unless there is a requisition from the Telangana Jagruthi, there may not be any change in this seat. Similarly, Farooq Hussain may also get another term as there is no prominent Muslim face in the party.

He hails from erstwhile Medak district and is said to have the backing of Finance Minister T Harish Rao.