AP minister among 3 elected unopposed to Legislative Council

: Andhra Pradesh Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, retired IPS officer Sheik Mohammad Iqbal and former MLA Challa Ramakrishna Reddy were on Monday declared elected unopposed to the state Legislative Council in the by-elections under the Assembly quota.

Returning officer P Balakrishnamacharyulu announced the unanimous election of the three ruling YSR Congress candidates as the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended on Monday.

He handed over the election certificates to Iqbal and Ramakrishna Reddy in the evening.

Ramana, the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister, is expected to collect it on Wednesday.

The TDP did not contest the by-election, scheduled for August 26, as it lacked the numbers.

Ramana, who served as an MLA for three consecutive terms from 1999, had lost the 2019 assembly election from Repalle constituency.

Nevertheless, he was made a minister in the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy Cabinet on June 8.

Jagan named him as one of the nominees for the Council bypolll to fulfil the constitutional obligation of getting Ramana elected to the Legislature within six months from taking oath as a minister.

Iqbal, too, unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls from Hindupur against TDP heavyweight Nandamuri Balakrishna and was promised a Council seat.

Ramakrishna Reddy was a three-time MLA and sailed with TDP after 2014. He had joined the YSRC days before the recent general elections and was instrumental in the election of the party candidates in a couple of constituencies in Kurnool district.

In recognition of that, he was made an MLC, according to YSRC sources.

Both Iqbal and Reddy hail from Kurnool district.

The three Council seats fell vacant as the incumbents