K Naveen Rao is MLC candidate

Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced Mr K. Naveen Rao as the candidate for the lone Legislative Council seat from the MLA quota. The election, if needed, will be held on June 7.

The seat fell vacant after the resignation of Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader Mynampally Hanumantha Rao after he was elected to the Assembly from Malkajgiri. During the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Rao had promised to give the ticket to former MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy and Mr Naveen Rao.

After returning from Tirumala Mr KCR announced Mr Naveen Rao as the candidate. He said Mr Sukhender Reddy will be nominated to the elections from the three Council seats where TRS MLCs were disqualified.

Mr Naveen Rao will file his papers on Tuesday, the last day for filing nominations. Scrutiny will take place on May 29 and May 31 is the last date for withdrawals. Polling will be held on June 7 if necessary, and the result will be announced the same day if there is voting.It appears that Mr Naveen Rao will be elected unopposed as the Congress has no interest in fielding a candidate as it does not have the numbers in the Assembly.

The decision of Mr Rao is bound to leave Mr Sukhender Reddy disappointed and he will have to wait longer. Mr Rao had assured that the Cabinet would be expan-ded after the Lok Sabha elections and Mr Sukhender Reddy would be made a minister.