The Election Commission on Monday issued notification for the by-election to the one vacant seat in the AP Legislative Council. The seat fell vacant in November 2021, following the death of sitting MLC Mohmmad Karimunnisa.
Karimunnisa, a former corporator from Vijayawada Municipal Corporation was nominated as MLC from the Assembly quota when she was in the campaign for the municipal elections in March 2021. She was contesting again on the YSR Congress ticket, when the MLC ticket knocked at her door.
However, after a few months of her election, Karimunnisa died of cardiac arrest in November. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had visited the family and promised to give the seat to one of the family members.
The opposition TDP is running short of numbers to win the seat leaving it to the ruling party to have a unanimous election. With 151 MLAs on its side, the YSR Congress would win the seat hands down.
The EC fixed March 14 as the last day for filing nominations and March 24 for election, if required. This would mean that the election process would be completed by March 15, as voting is not required for this seat.
Meanwhile, the strength of the YSR Congress in the Legislative Council would go up to 33 seats in the 58-member House. The opposition TDP, which was having 33 members till March this year and troubled the YSR Congress with the numbers, fell down to 15 members, with its members retiring in March.
