Hyderabad, Mar 12 (IANS); Telangana's Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali was among the five candidates elected to the state Legislative Council on Tuesday.

Ali, Yegge Mallesham, Seri Subash Reddy and Satyavathi Rathod, all belonging to ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Mirza Riyaz ul Hasan Effendi of TRS ally Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) were elected to the upper house from the MLA's quota.

Their election was a formality after the opposition decided to stay away from polling.

Members of state Assembly cast their votes in the elections on Tuesday. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, his cabinet colleagues and all other members of the TRS and the MIM participated in the voting.

According to poll officials, 91 MLAs of the TRS and seven of the MIM cast their votes.

The Congress, which had a strength of 19 in 119-member Assembly, also fielded a candidate with the hope of getting support of both the MLAs of its ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP). However, during last one week, four of its MLAs and one of the TDP defected to the ruling party.

Accusing the TRS of engineering defections, Congress decided to boycott the elections.