TRS MLAs are under the close observation of KCR

Two rounds of mock polling for Tuesday’s election to Legislative Council from Assembly constituency were held for TRS MLAs here on Monday under the close observation of party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to ensure the victory of four candidates of TRS and one of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM).

The TRS and its friendly party, MIM, are jointly contesting the election for five seats but a Congress candidate is also in fray though the party announced its decision to boycott the poll. Mr. Rao himself explained how the MLAs were supposed to mark the ballot and put it in the box when the ‘election’ took place in one of the committee halls in Assembly premises.

He demonstrated how the first and second preference votes are to be marked by the MLAs.

While first preference be given to TRS candidates, the second preference should go to MIM.

The TRS which has 91 MLAs, including two Independents, in the 120 member House has allotted 20 MLAs each to three of its candidates and 19 MLAs each to the fourth TRS and one MIM candidates as first preference votes. The party has also banked on at least five first preference votes of Congress and Telugu Desam MLAs who have openly expressed willingness to join TRS. As the Congress has backed out from poll, the second preference vote will become a mere formality.

Mr. Rao asked the MLAs to gather at the TRS office, the venue for today’s drill, again at 8 a.m. on Tuesday for another round of mock polling and then proceed to Assembly by special buses. He told them to take the election seriously, no matter Congress announced boycott of poll. The MLAs were also responsible for the victory of the party in coming Parliament elections.

The meeting saw Mr. Rao assigning two Ministers for each candidate to ensure that there is no cross voting from out of MLAs allotted to the candidates.

The TRS candidates in fray are : Mr. Mallesham Yegge, Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Ms. Satyavathi Rathod and Mr. Seri Subhash Reddy.

The lone MIM candidate is Mr. Mirza Riayazul Hassan Effendi.

Ms. Rathod was allotted TRS MLAs from Warangal and Nalgonda districts.