Who Will Get Majlis Party Support In AP?

The support of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) party has become key in the MLC elections scheduled for March 21 from the Assembly quota, as the party has 7 MLAs. Both Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) are urging Majlis party for its support for their candidates. However, talk is that the Majlis MLAs are likely to extend support to the YSR Congress, though party leaders are stating that they had not yet taken a decision on the matter.

Election fever caught up after the Chief Electoral Officer issued notification for the MLC elections on Monday. Candidates would be elected for 10 seats of the upper house, by members of the lower. AICC secretary Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and some other members are retiring by the end of the month. Each candidate would need the support of 29 MLAs to get elected to the Legislative Council. TRS and YSRCP have only 17 members each. As both need outside support, they are looking at the MIM. 

Political analysts are of the view that MIM was trying to use the opportunity to the best of its advantage, as the party has been facing a serious political crisis, after snapping ties with the Congress. It has been assessing the advantages it would have by supporting the TRS or the YSRCP. In the meantime, TRS fielded Mehmood Ali, a Muslim candidate to get MIM support. It is learnt that when TRS leader KTR spoke to the MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi about his party’s support, the latter had not made any promise. He reportedly said they need some more time to take a decision on the matter, as it would have to be discussed.