Hyderabad, March 08: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy yesterday denied that the Congress was encouraging horse trading by fielding a candidate for five MLC seats under MLAs’ quota, though it has MLAs who could elect only four of its nominees plus the candidates of its allies – PRP and the MIM.
Speaking to media persons here, the chief minister said that of all the parties, the Congress was better placed in winning the seat as it has 22 votes against the required number of 27. The other parties are nowhere near, the TDP has only 13 votes while the TRS has a similar number. But the TDP is supporting a CPI candidate while the TRS nominee is also in the fray. “When they are fielding candidates, why shouldn’t we?” he said, adding that it was the party high command which took the decision to field the extra candidate.
The chief minister pointed out that as regards the governor’s quota of five MLC seats, he was yet to give a list of candidates to the governor. To another query, he said the candidates for the MLC seats were from the region from where the existing members are retiring. No injustice had been done to Telangana region since 15 of the 30 seats for which elections are being held were from Telangana region only.
To a question, he said he would get round to cabinet expansion and appointment to nominated posts after the budget session of the Assembly.
Asked why there was delay in creation of deputy chief minister’s post and appointment of speaker to the Assembly, he said that had nothing to do with the Telangana movement. “We will get round it at an appropriate time,” he said.
Asked how he intended to deal with agitations against thermal power plants in the state, the chief minister said that very soon he would review the situation. He would study how power plants were set up in other states and implement the model in such a way that no one is put to loss and there is no threat to ecology either, he said.
—Agencies