Hyderabad: There is severe competition in the BRS for the MLC post with several leaders including a minority, a BC and a ST candidate trying hard for the seat.

Party leaders said that senior leaders Md Mahamood Ali, D Sravan Kumar and Satyawathi Rathod were trying hard to get the post. The Election Commission of India released notification for filling up of the five council seats under the MLA quota and if needed the election will be held on March 20. As per the strength, the BRS is slated to get one out of the five council seats under the MLA quota.

The five MLCs whose term ending by March 29 are Seri Subhash Reddy, Satyawathi Rathod, Mahmood Ali, Yegge Mallesham, and Mirza Riyaz-ul-Hassan from AIMIM. Party leaders said that Mahamood Ali has been trying hard to get another term. He had recently met the party chief K Chandrashekar Rao and invited him to the marriage of his grandson, which is supposed to be held next month. Party leaders said that the senior leader from the minority community wanted to seize the opportunity before any others could lobby, hence he met the party supremo well in advance.

Party leaders also said that sitting member Satyawati Rathod is hopeful of getting another term. She was made whip in the party a month before the end of her membership and she believes that the party supremo would continue her as the member once again.

With the party adopting ‘attract BCs policy’ in recent times, senior leader from the city Dasoju Sravan Kumar is expecting that this time he could get the post. Sravan Kumar missed the Council seat last time under the Governor quota as the then Governor had rejected the nomination. According to sources, Sravan Kumar may be given the opportunity because of the focus on the BCs. The party, which had kept away from the Council election recently, had announced support to the BC candidates. The BCs contribute 56.33 per cent of the total population and they are a key factor. The party felt that ignoring a bigger section hampered their chances in the last two elections and does not want to take risk again, said a senior leader.