The YSR Congress party is all set to increase its strength in the Andhra Pradesh state legislative council by November second week by filling up the existing vacancies in the upper house.
The Jagan government is said to have begun the exercise for filling up of 14 vacancies in the state legislative council, including 11 under the local bodies’ quota and another three under the MLAs’ quota.
The seats have been lying vacant for the last six months as the Election Commission of India has not given green signal to fill them up due to the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic prevailing all over the country.
In fact, the filling up the MLC seats under local bodies’ quota was delayed due to the litigation in the high court over the ZPTC and MPTC elections till recently.
Now that the election process is completed for mandal and zilla parishads due to clearance from the high court, the legal hurdles for the MLC elections have been removed.
Out of the total number of 58 seats in the state legislative council, the YSRC already has 18 seats. It can win all the 14 seats for which elections are being held now, because of its overwhelming victory in the local bodies and also the strength in the assembly.
With this, the YSRC will gain 32 seats in the council and attain full power in the council.
“In all probability, the elections to these vacancies in the upper house will be held in the second week of November, after the completion of by-election to Badvel assembly seat,” party sources said.
Intensive lobbying has already begun in the YSRC for the MLC seats. Those who were promised the MLC seats but could not make it due to caste equations in the past are expected to get the chance this time, sources added.
