Ansari picks 7 MPs to represent Telangana in Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari Friday decided, through draw of lots, the names of seven MPs deemed to have been elected from seats allotted to Telangana under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. Four of the MPs belong to Congress and three to TDP.

A Rajya Sabha release said that Gundu Sudharani, C.M. Ramesh and Garikapati Mohan Rao of the Telugu Desam Party and V. Hanumantha Rao, Palavi Govardhan Reddy, Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu and Dr K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao of the Congress would be deemed to have been elected from seven seats of Telangana from June 2, when the new state will come into being.

"In pursuance of the provisions contained in section 13 and the first schedule of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the chairman, Rajya Sabha has by draw of lots on May 30 determined the seven members from the existing state of Andhra Pradesh, who shall be deemed to have been elected to fill seven seats allotted to the state of Telangana," the release said.

Out of the 18 members originally representing the state in parliament's upper house, the remaining 11 members, including one seat which is vacant, will be deemed to have been elected from the new, residuary state of Andhra Pradesh.

Sources said there was some rethink in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Deomocratic Alliance government on going ahead with "the lottery system" due to possibility of members belonging to Andhra Pradesh representing Telangana and vice-versa. However, the decision was taken on the basis of draw of lots.

While the terms of Sudharani and Hanumantha Rao will end in July 2016, that of Mohan Rao and Ramachandra Rao will end in April 2020.