Hyderabad: MLC elections for eight Legislative Council seats is considered to be a pulse reading for forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The notification for MLC elections, scheduled on March 29 is expected any time now. The elections will be held for five seats in MLAs quota, two in graduates quota and one seat in teachers quota.

The MLC elections about a month ahead of general elections will be a litmus test for Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as voters in 10 districts will participate for the elections for the nine MLC seats. It may be recalled that TDP managed to win MLCs in local bodies quota, but lost in MLCs in graduates and teachers’ quota.

Voters in Krishna, West Godavari, East Godavari and Guntur districts will participate in MLC elections in teachers’ quota. Coming to teachers quota, Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram and Visakhapatnam districts. And in MLAs quota, TDP will get four MLCs and YCP will bag one MLC seat. Elections will be held for the remaining three seats.

Meanwhile, TDP senior leader and MLC Mohammad Ahmad Shariff has been elected as Chairman of AP Legislative Council. Since only one nomination of Shariff was filed, his election was unanimous, said Council deputy chairman Reddy Subrahmanyam.