Andhra Pradesh is scheduled to see the biennial election to 9 MLC seats on March 13. The Election Commission has released the schedule and is set to issue notification on February 16.

The election to the MLC seats in the local bodies constituencies are likely to be one sided with the ruling YSR Congress having a clear edge.

However, the election to the three Graduates Constituencies and two Teachers Constituencies, is set to see a direct and tough battle. The Left parties’ sponsored Progressive Democratic Front is set to give a tough fight both in the two categories of the constituencies, the YSR Congress, TDP and the BJP too are set to have their candidates.

Elections are scheduled for the Teachers constituencies of Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam, Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa districts. Similarly, the Graduates constituencies of Srikakulam, Viziangara and Visakhapatnam in the north Andhra, Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam in the south coastal Andhra and Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa districts of Rayalaseema region are set to see a tough battle.

Currently, the Graduates constituency of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam is held by the BJP’s P V N Madhav, while the Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa seat is held by the YSR Congress Party’s Vennapusa Gopala Reddy.

The TDP and the YSR Congress have decided to field their candidates for the Graduates Constituencies directly and have their candidates for the Teachers constituencies. As this is going to be a crucial election with the general election only 13 months away, the TDP is trying to get the support of the Jana Sena.

If the Jana Sena has to support the TDP, it would have to break its alliance with the BJP first as the BJP is also set to contest the election. It is to be seen what step that the Jana Sena would take once the notification is issued on February 16.