A day after high voltage drama over the arrest of TDP MLA A.Revanth Reddy on charges of trying to bribe a nominated MLA Elsiv Stephenson to back his party candidate, polling for filling up of six vacancies in the Telangana Legislative Council commenced on Monday morning.
Amid tight security with police personnel guarding every vantage point and entrance to the Assembly premises, the legislators made their way to the Committee Hall – 1 to cast their votes. Speaker S. Madhusudhana Chary was the first to cast his vote.
The polling would go on till 4 p.m. and the counting of votes will begin at 5 p.m.
Revanth Reddy remanded
Interestingly, Mr. Revanth Reddy, who hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons on Sunday, was produced before a Special ACB Court Magistrate on Monday. He was remanded in 14 days judicial custody, but allowed to proceed to Assembly premises under escort to exercise his franchise in the Council polls.
Mr. Revanth on arrival on the Assembly premises, went to the Telugu Desam Party Legislature office where other TDP colleagues met him. The BJP legislators also met him. He was allowed to be in the Assembly from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. after which he would be sent to prison. Later all the TDP and BJP legislators made their way to the Committee Hall to cast their votes.
The mood on the Assembly premises appeared cheerful with the TRS members enthusiastically queued outside the Committee Hall. Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao is yet to arrive for casting his vote. The Congress legislators, who are in a camp in a luxury resort on the outskirts of the City, did not arrive yet (at 10.30 a.m.) So were the MIM legislators, numbering seven, who are expected to come in the afternoon.
Foolproof security arrangements were made on the Assembly premises and the media personnel were confined to a corner near the Media Point. Barricades were put up to prevent journalists, electronic media personnel for going anywhere the entrance of Assembly.
There are seven candidates in the fray, including five from the TRS and one each from the Congress and the TDP-BJP combine. In the House of 120 including nominated MLA, the Left parties – CPI and CPI (M) with one member each decided to keep away from polling. The YSR Congress and the MIM MLAs have decided to back the TRS boosting the ruling party’s chances. Each candidate has to secure 16.85 first preference votes to win the election.
The TRS is sure to win four seats but the contest turned interesting after the fifth candidate was fielded by the TRS. There have been allegations of poaching and the defection of TDP MLA from Kukatpally Madhavaram Krishna Rao two days ago to the TRS electrified the election scenario.
Appeal to EC
Meanwhile, in a last ditch effort, President of Telangana Telugu Desam Party L.Ramana, TDP MP Malla Reddy and MLAs, have sent separate letters to Governor E S L Narasimhan, Chief Election Commission and State’s Chief Electoral Officer seeking restoration of democracy in Telangana and postponement of MLC elections.
In almost identical letters, they alleged that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been following “most unethical practices to lure MLAs & public representatives elected on other political party tickets to join TRS by offering them money or threatening them with illegal methods like tapping phones and snooping on them”.
Alleging that many MLAs from TDP have been receiving calls for the past few days from Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao threatening them to support TRS candidates in MLC elections, they sought the postponement of MLC elections scheduled on Monday. They requested the Governor to intervene and restore democracy and appraise the Chief Election Commissioner and take necessary action.
