TRS seeks support of YSRCP, AIMIM, CPI, CPM for council poll

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has sought support of YSR Congress for the Telangana legislative council election scheduled for June 1, it was officially announced here today.
According to a release issued here by the Telangana Chief Minister's staff, Telangana Infotech and Panchayat Raj Minister K T Rama Rao, son of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, telephoned YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and sought the support of his party for the election.
The YSR Congress president responded "positively" to the request, the release stated.
The YSR Congress won three assembly seats in last year's legislative assembly election, but some of them had announced their support to the TRS earlier, it stated.

Rama Rao has already spoken to leaders of the CPI, the CPI(M) and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, seeking their support, the release stated.
The legislative council election, in which MLAs participate, is to be held to fill up six vacancies for which seven candidates are in the fray.

The TRS has fielded five candidates, while the opposition Congress and TDP-BJP combine put up one candidate each.
In the last year's assembly elections, the TRS won 63 seats out of a total 119 seats, but several MLAs from other parties including the Congress, the TDP and the YSR Congress crossed over to the TRS later, after which these parties filed disqualification petitions against the MLAs who defected.

The TRS reportedly enjoys the support of 75 MLAs and it can win four seats on its own with votes of 18 MLAs required as a first preference for each seat. It is banking on the support of AIMIM and others to win a fifth seat.
Telangana Congress president and MLA N Uttam Kumar Reddy had alleged that the ruling party has resorted to "corrupt politics" and is trying to lure MLAs from other parties.