With just a fortnight away for the Presidential election, the Congress has begun efforts to ensure that all its 155 MLAs are present to cast their vote for the UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee on July 19.
Over the last two days, the Congress Legislature Party staff has been telephoning each of the Congress MLAs requesting them to come to the city on July 18 itself, so that they do not miss the voting the next day. There are 155 Congress MLAs and an independent, who is associate member of the CLP. This apart, Congress is confident of mustering the support of seven MIM MLAs, and one each of the CPI (M) and the Lok Satta Party.
The party has identified Ministers and MLAs, who are now away on foreign tours. It has sent messages to Ministers like D. K. Aruna, Kanna Lakshminarayana and D. Sridhar Babu to return to the city. The three Ministers are in the US attending the Telugu NRIs’ annual conference. Two legislators -- Narsa Reddy (Gajwel) and Arepalli Mohan (Manakondur) -- are also abroad.
According to sources, Musheerabad MLA T. Manemma is not keeping good health and the party is making arrangements to bring her to the Assembly so that she can cast her vote. Former Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao is in Chanchalguda jail.
