Nominations process for six Rajya Sabha seats for two Telugu States was completed Tuesday evening with two leaders from Telangana and three from Andhra Pradesh filed their nominations at Assembly premises here along with ministers and leaders of the respective parties. Scrutiny of the same will be done on June 1 followed by withdrawals on June 3. The Legislature officials made arrangements for smooth conduct of elections for the RS seats on June 11 from 9 am to 4 pm. The results will be declared on the same evening followed by counting of the votes polled.
Former ministers D Srinivas and Captain Lakshmikatha Rao filed their nominations to Telangana Legislature Secretary Raja Sadaram. Finance Minister Eatala Rajender, Home Nayani Narsimha Reddy and others accompanied them while filing. D Srinivas resigned from the post of special advisor of the State government to become an RS member and Captain, who played a key role in statehood agitation has got nominated for the RS by TRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister Sujana Chowdhary and former Minister TG Venkatesh filed their nominations to Andhra Pradesh Legislature Secretary Satyanarayana this morning. Suresh Prabhu came to Assembly and filed his nomination. Telangana BJP president Dr K. Laxman, AP BJP president Haribabu and other AP ministers Kamineni Srinivas and Manikyala Rao, MPs Gokaraju Ranga Raju, BJP leader Kavuri Sambasiva Rao and others accompanied Suresh Prabhu.
Nara Lokesh TD national general secretary, Information minister Palle Raghunath Reddy, Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy, MLAs accompanied Sujana Chowdhary and TG Venkatesh while filing nominations. Earlier, they offered floral tributes to party founder NT Rama Rao at TD Trust Bhavan and then at NTR Park before reaching the Assembly where they filed their nominations.
While there are only two RS seats from Telangana, the ruling TRS fielded its two leaders whose win likely to be unanimous as no other party could field one. Similarly, of four RS seats in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling Telugu Desam fielded three leaders while the Opposition YSRCP announced its leader and auditor Vijaya Sai Reddy. Despite this, the TD supremo and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was evincing interest to rope in fourth candidate probably a YSRCP candidate, who switched to the TD to give a tough fight, it is learnt. (NSS)