Will Cong fielding 6th candidate in MLC polls?

Will the ruling Congress party field sixth candidate? If yes, the sufferer will be TRS.

Each party should have 27 members in the Assembly for fielding one MLC candidate. The Congress party has a strength of 160 (as claimed by PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana at a media conference on Sunday) and it can field five candidates to come with flying colours comfortably. The party should require 162 if it wanted another seat. The TDP named three candidates as against its members of 77 and the party required support from 4 members. But it can be manageable with support from Lok Satta (1), CPI(4) and CPIM (1). TRS and YSRCP have a strength of 17 members each in the Assembly, while MIM, which has 7 seats is likely to support YSRCP. TRS will be in trouble if Congress fielded sixth candidate as polling will be a mandatory then. TRS may require 10 members' support to get his leader elected to the council. BJP, which has a lone member in the Assembly announced to keep away from voting

The Congress party can manage five seats with its 155 members. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is holding a meeting with PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana and some ministers and party leaders to finalize weather to field sixth candidate or not. The PCC chief said yesterday that his party would think and finalise it on Monday. The candidates of TDP Yenamala Ramakrishnudu, Samanthakamani and Saleem filed nomination papers, while Congress candidates Shabbir Ali, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, Santosh Kumar, Veerabhadra Swamy and Lakshmi Siva Kumari are filing their papers today. CM Kiran and PCC chief Botsa are continuing consultations on the trivial issue.

-Sakshipost