Congress, TRS to contest for Council Chairman's post

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Congress are heading for a tough contest to win the post of Chairman of Telangana State Legislative Council.

Deviating from the tradition of unanimous election for the post, both TRS and Congress have fielded their candidates for the post. While MLC Swamy Goud submitted his papers at 10.30 AM and even claimed that he was getting elected unopposed, about an hour later Congress MLC Farooq Hussain filed the nomination for the post.

Swamy Goud was accompanied with TRS Secretary General K Keshava Rao, Deputy CM Mahmood Ali, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Rao, Ministers K Tarakaram Rao, T Harish Rao and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and others. He thanked Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other leaders for making him a candidate for such an important post. After filing the nomination, the TRS leaders almost celebrated Swamy Goud's victory and were confidence that he was getting unopposed.

However, at about 11.30 AM, Farooq Hussain filed his nomination for the post. Speaking to media persons later, Leader of the Opposition in Council D Srinivas claimed that the Congress was having majority in the Legislative Council and it would comfortably win the seat. Farooq Hussain said that the five Congress MLCs who defected to TRS would also vote in his favour as the Congress would issue the whip.

When asked whether the Congress would seek the support of MIM which has two members in the Upper House, Srinivas said that the MIM was yet to clarify its stand on the elections.

Following defection by five MLCs, the Congress strength in Legislative Council has reduced to 12. With seven MLCs of other parties joining the TRS, which already had five MLCs, the ruling party now enjoys equal strength in the Council. Following two defection, the TDP is reduced from seven to five MLCs. While there are three members of PRTC, there is one independent MLC.

In the given circumstance, the TRS is all set to win the post of Council Chairman. However, the elections might help the Congress in gaining legal ground to seek disqualification of five rebel MLCs.