Five candidates of ruling Congress, two of main opposition Telugu Desam Party, and one each of Praja Rajyam, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Communist Party of India were officially declared elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council from the state Assembly quota today.
Returning Officer and Legislature Secretary S Raja Sadaram formally announced the results in the afternoon.
Twelve candidates were in the fray for the 10 seats to the Council from the Assembly quota, elections for which were held yesterday.
The Election Commission overruled the Telugu Desam Party’s losing candidate K Pratibha Bharati’s objection over the counting of second preference votes. It also turned down the TDP’s demand for a recount of second preference votes.
Congress’ official nominee, Mohammad Jani, currently Deputy Chairman of the Council, escaped defeat by a whisker with the help of second preference votes. He polled only 17 first preference votes as against the required 27 as about 12 Congress MLAs cross-voted in favour of MIM’s Altaf Rizvi.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti’s Mohammad Ali lost, as he got just 11 votes. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s Altaf Rizvi polled the highest 36 first preference votes.
Congress’ Paladugu Venkata Rao, Chengal Rayudu, Sudhakar Babu and M Ranga Reddy polled the required 27 first preference votes each while Praja Rajyam Party’s C Ramachandraiah, backed by the ruling party, also got 27, and won.
TDP’s V Satish Reddy and CPI’s P J Chandrasekhara Rao too won, securing 24 votes each, while Gangadhar Goud, also of TDP, polled 23 first preference votes to make it to Council.
The votes polled clearly indicated that there was large-scale cross-voting by Congress and TRS MLAs.
While about 12 Congress MLAs, owing allegiance to rebel leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, voted for the MIM candidate against the party directive, at least three TRS members were believed to have voted for Congress’ Ranga Reddy.
