The Election Commission had released the schedule for the Rajya Sabha elections on Monday. The EC said that the notification would be issued on February 8 and the elections would be held on February 27.
Three Rajya Sabha seats are falling vacant in Andhra Pradesh on April 2, 2024. BJP member C M Ramesh, TDP member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar and YSRCP member Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy are retiring on the day. The three seats would go for the polls on the day as per schedule.
The ruling YSRCP has the strength to elect all the three members. However, the party is having second thoughts on the opposition TDP. It is to be seen if the TDP would field its candidate or not. If TDP fields its candidate, voting will be held on February 27 or else the three seats would be declared elected unopposed.
If the ruling YSRCP wins all the three seats, its strength in the Upper House would reach 11, the total strength of the state in Rajya Sabha. The YSRCP currently has 9 members including Prabhakar Reddy who is retiring on April 2. The other two members are one each from the TDP and the BJP, who are also retiring on April 2.
Sources say that the TDP is also planning to field its candidate anticipating cross voting for its candidate. The party had benefited from the cross voting in the recent elections to the MLC. Its candidate Panchumarthy Anuradha won the election with four members from the ruling YSRCP voting for the TDP.
The party is expecting similar cross voting even in the Rajya Sabha elections. There are several sitting MLAs who are not happy with the party leadership as it had denied ticket to them. The MLAs are silently watching the developments and are likely to vote for the TDP in the elections.
