Addanki Dayakar, the PCC general secretary, and Balmoor Venkat, the NSUI State president, are preparing to file nominations for the upcoming MLC by-polls. The party high command has approved their names. The PCC provided a list of names to the high command, and after careful consideration, Dayakar and Venkat were chosen. They are both close aides of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. Reddy recently discussed the matter with Rahul Gandhi, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and general secretary (org) K C Venugopal. On Tuesday, the party leadership called Dayakar and Venkat and asked them to file nominations before January 18.
The two MLC seats became vacant after BRS leaders Kadiyam Srihari and Padi Kaushik Reddy resigned to become MLAs in the Assembly polls. Dayakar, who is a SC leader, has been a strong supporter of Revanth Reddy despite opposition within the party. He previously contested in the Thungathurthy constituency on a Congress ticket but lost to G Kishore of BRS by a small margin. This time, the party has chosen Mandula Samuel as their candidate for the constituency.
Venkat is a Velama and doctor who represents NSUI. He has been actively involved in protests against the TSPSC and has fought a losing battle in the Huzurabad by-poll in 2021. He was recommended for an MLA ticket but was denied. Both Dayakar and Venkat are sacrificing their tickets for the party’s greater good.
The party is expected to announce MLC candidates under the Governor’s quota soon. The candidates are likely to be Prof M Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan, news editor of Siasat. Amer Ali Khan is the son of Zahed Ali Khan, chief editor of the daily. Zahed Ali Khan previously contested against AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for the Hyderabad LS seat in 2009 and received nearly two lakh votes.
