Hyderabad: Telangana Congress president and MLC Mahesh Kumar Goud said the party would finalise its candidates within two days for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election.
The Election Commission earlier announced the poll schedule. Two members from Telangana will retire at the end of their term. Consequently, the ruling party has begun consultations to select new nominees for the Upper House.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Mahesh Kumar Goud said senior leaders were reviewing names and would arrive at a decision shortly. He also confirmed that Rahul Gandhi will visit Telangana on March 1.
Meanwhile, Congress holds a numerical edge in the Assembly ahead of the Rajya Sabha election. With its present strength, the party commands comfortable numbers.
In addition, around ten legislators elected from BRS are likely to extend support to Congress. Therefore, the party expects to secure both vacancies in the Upper House without difficulty.
Rajya Sabha election numbers tilt towards Congress
Given the current Assembly composition, Congress requires no complex arithmetic. The leadership remains confident of converting its advantage in the Rajya Sabha election into two victories.
On another issue, Mahesh Kumar Goud addressed concerns over former minister Jeevan Reddy’s health. He described Jeevan Reddy as an asset to the Congress party and wished him a long and healthy life.
However, he accused BJP leaders of deliberately targeting state ministers with allegations. According to him, they were attempting to malign the government without evidence.
He questioned why Union Minister Kishan Reddy had not responded to demands for a CBI inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project. If the BJP was serious, he said, it should openly back such a probe.
Further, he said IAS and IPS officers function independently and do not act at the behest of political leaders. He termed remarks by Bandi Sanjay alleging corruption by Congress ministers as laughable.
Finally, he advised Bandi Sanjay to reflect on the recent municipal election results. Those results, he said, should serve as a lesson.