Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is apprehensive about victory of its fifth candidate in MLC elections, slated for June 1. The party president, K Chandrasekhar Rao, held a meeting with all the top leaders and MLAs to discuss and devise strategies to ensure that it bags all the five seats. This had become necessary with the Congress top leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Vylar Ravi landing in Hyderabad and the TDP also going aggressive at Mahanadu against the TRS.

Both these parties have issued whip to their MLAs which includes all those who had switched loyalties to the pink party. As a counter move, the TRS has decided to hold a mock polling for two days on Saturday and Sunday from 5 pm to 6 pm. Senior leaders like T Harish Rao and K Keshav Rao were asked to conduct the mock poll and guide the MLAs on voting method and how they should exercise their franchise on the D-day.

KCR emphasised the need to ensure that no vote goes waste. All MLAs should exercise their franchise perfectly leaving no scope for doubts about validity of the vote. Any mistake would make us a laughing stock, he is understood to have said. With TRS having strength of 75 MLAs, including those who crossed over from Telugu Desam, Congress and YSR Congress parties, victory of four members is a cakewalk.

The TRS in pinning its hopes on the support of AIMIM, YSR Congress and the CPI besides cross voting from TDP and Congress to see that the fifth candidate wins the polls. Any small mistake in casting the vote could mar the chance of the fifth candidate, the party leadership felt and hence decided to hold mock polling.

Meanwhile, Rao decided to allot 17 or 18 MLAs for each contestant. These 17 or 18 MLAs would be asked to cast their vote to that particular candidate. However, the party is tight-lipped on who was allotted to which candidate. The MLAs would be informed about the name of the candidate to whom they should vote only on Sunday evening, party sources.