With the Election Commission of India (ECI) has started the process of conducting biennial elections to the Legislative Councils, the Telugu Desam Party has been witnessing hectic lobbying among aspirants in the party. During next couple of months as many as 22 MLCs under the quotas of MLAs, the Governor, local bodies, teachers and graduates, to be filled in Andhra Pradesh.
Already the ECI has issued notification for five seats from teachers and graduate constituencies. Notifications will be followed for eight seats from local bodies and seven seats from MLAs. Most of the party leaders are seeking seats from MLAs and Governor quotas only, as it would be easy for them to elect.
Among seven seats from MLAs, TDP is sure to win six seats, besides two to be nominated by the Governor. It turned to be a daunting task for the party leadership to select few among hundreds of aspirants.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had himself assured to many, including those who were denied party seats in 2014 polls and those who had joined from other parties, to accommodate them in MLC polls. Now remembering his promise, all such leaders are attempting to try their own luck. On the otherhand, the party leadership need to be cautious keeping in mind certain equations.
Already discontent growing among senior leaders of the party, who failed to get some placement even after two and half years of the party return to the power.
They include Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthy, J R Pushparaj and NMD Farooq. Chief Minister is understood to be feeling obligated to give representation to the Muslims and STs, as the party is having not a single MLA presently from these communities.
As almost all leaders who were accommodated by making them as chairmen to various corporations are now making hectic lobbying to become MLC. This has been resulting in discontent among other leaders, who are questioning that why the party always should prefer same persons and seeking those till now rewarded with any position should be preferred.
Prominent Congress leaders, who had joined TDP like Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Dokka Manikyavara Prasad and Gade Venkata Reddy, besides who joined from YSRCP Jupudi Prabhakara Rao are also in the race.
