TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has finalised the candidature of Ms. Kalvakuntla Kavitha as the party’s nominee for the MLC seat under Nizamabad Local Bodies category.
Ms Kavitha filed nomination for the MLC post on Wednesday. Accompanied by Minister for Roads and Buildings V. Prashanth Reddy, MLAs and MLCs hailing from the integrated old district, former MP Ms. Kavitha submitted two sets of papers to the Collector and Returning Officer C. Narayana Reddy.
At one stage, it was believed that Ms Kavitha would be selected for the Rajya Sabha. However, after the party leadership proposed K. Kesava Rao and K.R. Suresh Reddy, her followers were disappointed. Given the strength of the TRS in the local bodies in the constituency comprising the integrated old district, her election seems to be a cake walk.
Out of a total of 824 voters, TRS alone has 532, registering 64.5%, while Congress has 140, and BJP 85.
Ms Kavitha will have 22-month term as MLC and is likely to be renominated after her terms ends in January 2022. She is now contesting for the remaining term of former MLC R. Bhupathi Reddy who forfeited his membership following his defection to the Congress.
Speaking to the media , Mr. Prashanth Reddy said KCR took the decision to field Ms. Kavitha taking into account the requests of all MLAs.
Before coming to file nomination, Ms. Kavitha called on Assembly Speaker P. Srinivas Reddy at his residence in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, the BJP fielded P. Laxminarayana as its candidate. Mr. Laxminarayana, after his retirement from the Commercial Taxes Department, joined the party, and is the party’s BC cell and retired employees’ cell district president.
He also played a crucial role in Telangana agitation.
Though the Congress has decided to field its candidate, it has not yet named the candidate, with just a day to go for the last date for filing of nomination.
