Congress, few independents pin hopes on cross-voting in MLC polls

TRS playing safe by keeping its flock together

Notwithstanding the camp politics being run by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Congress for their elected representatives of rural and urban local bodies who form the electorate for the six MLC seats in the Local Authorities Constituencies (LAC) to keep them safe from ‘poaching’, Congress and a few independents are pinning their hopes purely on cross-voting.

A total of 26 candidates are in the fray for the six seats for which polling is scheduled on December 10 in the erstwhile districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Medak and Nalgonda with Karimnagar having two LAC seats. As the day of polling is approaching, the two parties are bringing them electors back from camps to their respective districts.

Running camps for its elected representatives of the rural and urban local bodies by the ruling TRS has raised the eyebrows of one and all as the party enjoys raw majority in all the five erstwhile districts which were reorganised into 16 in 2016 as part of reorganisation districts. Having majority in all the 16 districts, the TRS has won all zilla parishad chiefs’ posts as also a majority of mandal parishad presidents posts.

Similarly, the ruling party has in its kitty a lion’s share of urban local bodies in these districts with a few (single-digit) going to other parties.

“We are aware of our numbers, but we don’t want to take any chances,” a senior TRS leader said adding that the party leadership is not willing to risk any of the six MLC seats at stake, keeping in mind a couple of setbacks the party had suffered in MLA, MLC elections in the past.

Considering the numbers, either the Congress candidates, contesting Medak and Khammam LAC seats, or independents - stand no chance of getting elected even if they succeed in mustering the support of BJP and Left parties. However, they are heavily hoping on the cross-voting from TRS electors.

On the other hand, the ruling party is holding its flock together with carrot and stick approach. It is also understood that that the party has also been seeking the support of the Left in spite of having clear majority numbers-wise.