The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced N Goutham Rao as its candidate for the upcoming biennial election to the Telangana Legislative Council from the Hyderabad Local Authorities’ constituency.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) had earlier announced the April 23 polls, with the Model Code of Conduct coming into effect in the constituency. The election is being held as the term of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC MS Prabhakar is set to expire on May 1.
- Key Dates for the Election:
- Last date for nominations: April 4
- Scrutiny of nominations: April 7
- Voting: April 23
- Counting of votes: April 25
Last month, the BJP secured two of the three MLC seats in Telangana, while an independent candidate won the third seat, reflecting the shifting political landscape in the state.
Supreme Court Stays Mass Tree Felling in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli
Meanwhile, political tensions in Telangana have also escalated over the mass felling of trees in Kancha Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
Taking suo moto cognizance, the Supreme Court of India has halted the deforestation of 400 acres of land in the Hyderabad University campus area. The apex court issued a stern warning to the Chief Secretary of Telangana, stating that any non-compliance with its order would lead to serious consequences.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih remarked:
“This is a very serious matter. You cannot take the law into your own hands.”
The court further directed that no activity of any sort should take place at the site, except for the protection of the trees already present.
This intervention by the Supreme Court has added to the political pressure on the Telangana government, which is already facing criticism from environmental activists and opposition parties over its handling of the issue.
With both the MLC elections and the environmental controversy in the spotlight, Telangana’s political landscape remains heated ahead of the crucial state elections.