Six RS candidates from AP may be elected unopposed

Hyderabad, Mar 17 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao, state Congress president K Keshava Rao, INTUC national president G Sanjeeva Reddy, Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh Rashid Alvi, CPI senior leader Aziz Pasha and TDP nominee M V Mysoora Reddy are set to be elected unopposed from the six Rajya Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.

At the end of the deadline for filing nominations today, they were the only candidates for the six seats from the state falling vacant after the incumbents retire, Legislature Secretary Tuljanand Singh, who is Returning Officer for the election to the Upper House of Parliament, told the media.

Scrutiny would be held at 1100 hrs tomorrow.

The candidates would be formally declared elected at 1500 hrs on Monday, after the deadline for withdrawals, Mr Singh said.

CPI's Aziz Pasha was the first to file his two sets of nominations.

Mr Narayana Rao who also filed two sets, was accompanied by his wife Dasari Padma, Political Advisor to the state government K V P Ramachandra Rao and the PCC President.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, School Education Minister Nedurumalli Rajya Laxmi, Information Minister Mohd. Ali Shabbir and Rajya Sabha MP V Hanumantha Rao were among those present when Mr Keshava Rao, Mr Sanjeeva Reddy and Mr Rashid Alvi filed their nominations earlier.

Mr Keshava Rao filed another set of nominations with signatures of leaders of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) later.

Mr Mysoora Reddy who had switched over from Congress to the TDP on the eve of last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, was accompanied by many TDP leaders including TDP Legislature Party Deputy leader T Devender and Veteran legislator Ch Rajseswara Rao on the occasion.

When Mr Aziz Pasha filed his papers, several leaders of the Left parties including CPI National Secretary and MP Suravaram Sudhakara Reddy were present.

UNI ASJ/JRK AA LR ND1754