Five YSRC candidates file nominations for Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council elections

Five candidates of the ruling YSR Congress on Thursday filed their nominations for the biennial election to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council.

The sixth candidate filed his papers for the by-election to the Council.

Accompanied by ministers Botsa Satyanarayana, Buggana Rajendranath and Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, the six candidates completed the formality on the last day of the nomination process.

Earlier, YSRC president and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy handed the candidates the party's requisite authorisation in Form-B.

The YSRC re-nominated sitting MLC Shaik Mohammed Iqbal of Kurnool district, besides bringing back political heavyweight C Ramachandraiah of Kadapa to the Council.

It also nominated Balli Kalyan Chakravarthy, son of deceased Tirupati MP Durga Prasada Rao, and leaders Mohammed Karimunneesa from Vijayawada and Duvvada Srinivas from Srikakulam for three other seats.

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Five Council seats will fall vacant on March 29, at the end of the six-year term of the sitting members, three of whom belong to the main opposition Telugu Desam Party.

The YSRC fielded Challa Bhageerath Reddy (Kurnool) for the by-election to the Council, to fill the vacancy caused due to the death of his father Ramakrishna Reddy, who succumbed to coronavirus in January.

He will fill the slot till March 29, 2023.

Election of these six candidates is now a mere formality as no other nominations have been filed.

It will be a gain of three seats for the YSRC, whose overall strength in the 58-member House will increase to 14, including two nominated members.

Iqbal, a retired IPS officer, was first elected to the Council on August 19, 2019.

Since he had a short tenure in the first term, Iqbal got re-nominated for a fuller term of six years.

Ramachandraiah's re-entry will be a major boost for the YSRC in the Council, given his vast legislative experience and political acumen.

He had earlier served as Leader of Opposition in the Council on behalf of the Congress party.

He had served in the TDP and the erstwhile Praja Rajyam Party of actor Chiranjeevi, and later the Congress before joining the YSRC.