The Congress party has announced its candidates for the upcoming MLC elections. It has selected three candidates from within the party and has given the fourth seat to its ally, the Communist Party of India (CPI). This decision was made public by AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal in New Delhi on Sunday night.
The selection process was competitive, especially because the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) had strongly pushed for a seat. However, Congress chose to honor its alliance with the CPI instead.
Among the Congress candidates is veteran actress-turned-politician Vijayashanti. She will contest from the MLA quota along with Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leader Addanki Dayakar and Nalgonda District Congress Committee (DCC) chief Kethavath Shanker Naik.
Congress is confident that it will win three out of the four MLC seats based on its current legislative strength. Meanwhile, the CPI is hopeful of securing its seat with Congress’ support.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued the official notification for the elections on March 3. The nomination process started on March 10, with scrutiny scheduled for March 11. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until March 13. Voting will take place on March 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the counting of votes will start immediately after polling ends.
This election is seen as an important test for the Congress-led alliance in Telangana. The party is facing political challenges from both its allies and competitors as it prepares for future elections.
