Even as the resolution adopted by the Andhra Pradesh state assembly seeking to abolish legislative council is pending with the Union home ministry for approval through a Constitutional amendment bill, there has been a lot of demand from the YSR Congress party leaders for the two vacant MLC seats.
Party sources said at least half a dozen leaders are lobbying for the MLC seats to be filled up under the Governor’s quota.
The seats have fallen vacant following the resignation of ministers Mopidevi Venkatramana and Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, who were recently elected to Rajya Sabha in biennial elections.
Among the aspirants for the two seats, the names of senior YSRC leaders like former Chilakaluripet MLA Marri Rajasekhar, former Chirala MLA Amanchi Krishna Mohan, former MP from Amalapuram Pandula Ravindra Babu and former MLC Dadi Veerabhadra Rao are doing rounds prominently.
It is learnt YSRC president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is contemplating filling up the two seats with weaker section, including a minority leader.
While there has been a talk that the name of Marri Rajasekhar has almost been finalised, there is no official word yet from the party boss.
Rajasekhar is confident that he would get the MLC nomination as was promised by Jagan in the past. He is also aspiring for the cabinet berth. However, if the chief minister decides to give the seat to an SC leader, Rajasekhar might not be considered.
For the second seat, Jagan is said to be considering two names: one, Zakia Khan, wife of Muslim leader Afzal Khan from Rayachoti in Kadapa district; and second, senior party leader from West Godavari district Moses Raju.
In all probability, Jagan might finalise the names in a day or two and recommend their names to the Governor soon.
There will be two more MLC seats which have fallen vacant due to the completion of tenure of Kantheti Satyanarayana Raju and Ratna Bai.
If legislative council chairman Mohd Ahmed Shariff disqualifies two TDP MLCs – Pothula Sunitha and D Shivanath Reddy sooner or later, two more seats will fall vacant and the YSRC will get the chance to fill up two more berths!
