Telangana Council to elect new Chairman today

The Telangana Legislative Council is meeting today to elect its new Chairman in the backdrop of defection of MLCs from the Congress and the TDP to the ruling party.

TRS leader in the Council Swami Goud filed his nomination for the Chairman's post but the Congress too fielded its member Farooq Hussain to counter the ruling party. Of the Council strength of 40, the Congress's tally fell to 12 after five of its legislators moved to the TRS. With two TDP and two teachers' union MLCs also defecting to its side, the TRS' number rose to 15. The TDP now has four members in the Council while the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has two. The Progressive Democratic Front and the Telangana Rashtriya Lok Dal have one member each.

 The TRS is hoping to enlist the support of the MIM and also the lone PDF member. Besides, two more Congress MLCs, including incumbent Chairman Neti Vidyasagar Rao, are said to be ready to support the TRS. With this, the TRS hopes to wrest the Chairman's post and establish its supremacy in the Legislative Council as well. The Congress, on the other hand, is desperate to keep its flock together.

Congress group leader in the Council D Srinivas and Telangana Pradesh Congress president Ponnala Lakshmaiah, who failed to prevent the defection of five MLCs last week, are now trying to persuade disgruntled members Yadav Reddy and Vidyasagar to stay back in the party. But, given the odds, the Congress looks set to lose the Council Chairman post to the TRS.