Election Commission announces schedule for Telangana Graduate MLC election

The Election Commission (EC) has rung the poll bell for Legislative Council elections in the state of Telangana.

The EC on Tuesday released the schedule for conducting the Graduate MLC elections in Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituencies.

The tenure of two members— Ramchander Rao of BJP, who represents Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar, and TRS’s Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, representing Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituencies— will be completed on March 29.

According to the Election Commission’s notification, candidates can file their nominations until February 23, following which they will be scrutinised on February 24. The last date until which candidates can withdraw their nominations is February 26.

The Graduate MLC polls will take place on March 14, with the election procedures slated to come to a conclusion by March 22.

With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for the Graduate MLC elections, the model code of conduct has been put in place from Tuesday onwards. Around 5,17,883 voters have registered in the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar constituency, which is double the numbers from the last election.  

BJP candidates Ramchander Rao and Gujjula Premender Reddy will be contesting from the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituencies, respectively. The TRS is reportedly fielding Palla Rajeshwar Rao, however, an official announcement to the same effect is yet to be made by the party. 

The Congress has announced that former MLA G Chinna Reddy will be the party’s candidate from the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar constituency, while former MLC Ramulu Naik will contest from the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituency.

Several independent candidates, along with Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) founder and President Prof Kodandaram are set to test their electoral prospects in the upcoming polls. 

After the BJP won both the Dubbaka bye-election and the GHMC election, the TRS is said to be taking the MLC polls and subsequent Nagarjunsagar bye-election as a test of their strength on the ground.