Amaravati, Feb 20 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh's ruling party YSR Congress on Monday announced candidates for 18 seats of the state Legislative Council, allotting a lion's share to the backward classes.

As many as 11 candidates are from the backward classes while there are two from Scheduled Castes and one from Scheduled Tribe. The remaining four are from other castes.

The party has named nine candidates for 'local authorities' constituencies, seven from MLAs' quota and two nominees for governor's quota.

YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy announced the names of the candidates. He said Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy finalised the names in tune with the party's policy to ensure social justice.

Terming the chief minister's decision as historic, Reddy said the YSRCP is the only party which has fulfilled its poll promise to provide adequate political representation to weaker sections of the society. He said the party had given preference to BCs, SCs, STs and minorities.

The YSRCP leader said that during Telugu Desam Party (TDP) rule, BCs, SCs, STs and minorities had 37 per cent representation in the legislative Council but YSRCP has given them 43 per cent representation to these sections.

The MLC candidates of YSRCP for local bodies' constituencies are Nathu Ramarao, Kudupudi Suryanarayana, Vanka Raveendernath, Kavuru Srinivas, Meruga Muralidhar, Sipayi Subrahmanyam, Ponnapureddy Ramasubbareddy, A. Madhusudhan and S. Mangamma.

For seven seats from MLA quota, the ruling party has fielded V. V. Surya Narayana Raju, Pothula Sunitha, Kola Guruvulu, Bommi Israel, Jayamangala Venkataramna, Chandragiri Yesuratnam and Marri Rajasekhar.

The YSRCP has recommended names of Kumbha Ravibabu and Karri Padmasri for nomination to the Legislative Council under governor's quota.

The elections for seats under local bodies' constituencies and MLAs' quota are scheduled next month.