Though several of the party seniors are in the race for the three MLC seats, which the ruling TDP will be sure of winning the five seats that are going to polls under MLAs quota, party supremo and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is said to be considering the names of ‘freshers’ for these seats.

According to sources, Naidu is favouring  party programmes committee chairman VVV Chowdary and party youth wing, Telugu Yuvatha leader Beeda Ravichandra Yadav for two seats. He is understood to be contemplating allotting the third to a Muslim leader in the party as TDP has no Muslim MLA.

Of the total five seats, which are going to polls under MLAs’ quota, the ruling TDP is sure of bagging three seats and the YSRC the remaining two on the basis of their numerical strength in the State Assembly.

As far as TDP in concerned, Naidu is expected to announce the party candidates on Monday, the last day for filing of nominations whereas the YSRC already fielded its candidates for the two seats.

Former minister Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose (East Godavari) and former Congress leader Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy (Vizianagaram) are the YSRC candidates. In the TDP, several senior leaders are competing with one another to secure MLC tickets.

For instance, party veterans such as Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy (Nellore), JR Pushpa Raj (Guntur), Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthy (Prakasam), K Pratibha Bharati (Srikakulam), NMD Farooq (Kurnool) and Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu (Chittoor) are in the race. All of these political veterans are eying the MLC route to revive their political careers.

Apart from them, former MLAs such as  Payyavula Keshav (Anantapur) and party women’s wing, Telugu Mahila, president Shobha Hymavathi (Vizianagaram) are also aspiring for the MLC seats.

However, Naidu is said to be against fielding those leaders, who had lost in the general elections, in the MLC polls. “Those who unsuccessfully contested the last general elections will not be considered for the MLC vacancies as there are a very few seats available,” Naidu reportedly told some of the party leaders.