The opposition TDP had won all the three Graduates Constituency MLCs finally. The party’s election strategy had helped the party win the three seats against all irregularities of the ruling party.

The party’s winning-spree is likely to continue in the MLC elections from the Assembly quota if the numbers are to be taken seriously. The TDP has 23 members officially and the YSR Congress has 151 members. The YSR Congress has the support of the lone Jana Sena member.

Going by these numbers, the YSR Congress would get the first preferential votes of 21 members for its seven candidates, while the TDP would get the first preferential votes of 23 members. The YSR Congress would have to sacrifice the seventh candidate if it has to win the balance six candidates.

If the four dissident MLAs of the TDP defy the party whip, it would get the first preferential votes of 19 members and the YSR Congress would win all the seven seats. But, there is a rebel MLA, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, who may also defy the party’s whip and vote for the TDP. In such a case, the TDP would get the first preferential votes of 20 members.

If the TDP would be able to get at least one or two more dissidents from the YSR Congress, or if one or two members of the YSR Congress cast invalid votes, then also the TDP will certainly win its candidate and the YSR Congress would have to lose its seventh candidate.

In any case, it is not going to be easy for the YSR Congress to have all its seven candidates win the MLC elections from the Assembly quota. Given the defeat of the party in the just-concluded Graduate MLC elections, YSR Congress would have to do a lot of homework to defeat the TDP’s candidate, thanks to Chandrababu Naidu’s strategy.