Congress, BJP Ticket Race Heats Up as Graduate MLC Voter Enrolment Begins
HYDERABAD: The race for two Telangana Graduates’ Legislative Council seats is gathering momentum in both the Congress and BJP as fresh voter enrolment begins on September 28, setting in motion preparations for elections due in 2027.
The Election Commission of India has ordered fresh electoral rolls for the Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ constituencies, whose sitting members’ terms expire in March 2027.
A public notice inviting enrolment is scheduled for September 28, with eligible graduates able to submit applications in modified Form-18 until November 6.
Importantly, the electoral rolls are being prepared afresh. That means graduates whose names appeared on the previous voter lists must also submit new Form-18 applications if they want to vote in the coming elections. November 1, 2026 has been fixed as the qualifying date.
The draft electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on November 25, followed by claims and objections until December 10. The final rolls are scheduled for publication on December 30.
The registration drive has added urgency to political preparations, with parties focusing not only on candidate selection but also on getting eligible graduates onto the electoral rolls.
Congress sees competition for tickets
In the ruling Congress, several leaders are lobbying for nominations to the two seats, according to party sources cited in published reports.
For the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituency, names being discussed include Ramreddy Sarvotham Reddy, son of former minister Ramreddy Damodar Reddy; Gutha Amith Reddy, son of Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy; RTI Commissioner P.V. Srinivas; Congress leader Lokesh Yadav; and TPCC general secretary Chanagani Dayakar.
The names of Ponguleti Prasad Reddy, younger brother of minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy; Nalgonda DCC president Kailash Netha; and former Tourism Corporation chairman Patel Ramesh Reddy have also figured in discussions, although published reports said they were not keen on contesting.
For the Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency, reported Congress aspirants include former MLA and former MP Challa Vamshichand Reddy, Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation chairman Anil Eeravathri and TPCC spokesperson Sama Ram Mohan Reddy.
Congress has not officially announced its candidates for either constituency.
BJP aspirants step up efforts
The BJP is also witnessing competition for nominations as the party prepares for the two Graduates’ MLC contests.
Several leaders are seeking an opportunity to contest, with lobbying intensifying as the voter-registration exercise gets underway.
The BJP has also begun mobilising its organisation around graduate voter enrolment. Party leaders have urged eligible graduates to register and have specifically reminded previous Graduate MLC voters that they too must enrol afresh.
Candidate selection is expected to take into account organisational strength, social equations, connections with graduate voters and the ability to campaign across the geographically extensive constituencies.
No BJP candidate has yet been officially announced, and names currently circulating within the party remain prospective aspirants rather than confirmed nominees.
Voter registration becomes first political test
The fresh preparation of the rolls effectively creates an electoral contest even before candidates are finalised.
Unlike Assembly or Lok Sabha elections, only eligible graduates whose names are included on the separate Graduates’ constituency electoral roll can vote in these MLC elections. With the old rolls not being carried forward automatically, political parties have an incentive to identify eligible graduates and encourage them to submit Form-18 applications before the November 6 deadline.
The Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda seat is currently represented by Teenmar Mallanna, who won a 2024 by-election on a Congress ticket. The Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency is represented by BRS member Surabhi Vani Devi.
With Congress and BJP seeing competition for nominations and other parties also beginning preparations, the opening of voter enrolment on September 28 marks the first concrete stage of the battle for the two seats.
The immediate contest will therefore unfold on two fronts — inside the parties over who gets the tickets, and on the ground as political organisations race to enrol eligible graduate voters before the November 6 deadline.
Comments