The politics surrounding the election of the Chairperson of Tadipatri municipality is taking new twists with each passing day ever since the results of the elections were announced.
On Wednesday, Srinivasulu, a lawyer, lodged a complaint with Tadipatri Municipal Commissioner P. Narasimha Prasad, alleging that YSRCP candidate Raghavendra Prasad, who won the 36th ward, had three children, but concealed the fact.
The Municipal Commissioner, however, rejected the allegations on the ground that this fact was not contested or objected to by the petitioner at the time of filing of nomination. “The Returning Officer has submitted a report that this fact was not brought to his notice by anyone and none had raised an objection. Hence, the demand of the lawyer that Mr. Raghavendra Prasad be stopped from participating in the election of the Chairperson has been rejected,” Mr. Narasimha Prasad told The Hindu.
The aggrieved party, however, can approach a court of law to contest the election of the ward member, seeking his disqualification based on this fact, if it could be proved with evidence, he added.
No poaching: Botcha
Meanwhile, Minister Botcha Satyanarayana has said that the YSRCP would never try to influence the Chairperson’s election.
“As of now, we do not have the required numbers of councillors to elect our candidate as the Chairperson. However, we will never poach,” he said.
He, however, quipped, “There is one Independent member and he will exercise his vote independently, thus cannot be clubbed with the TDP camp.”
All newly-elected TDP ward members, who had been camping at a resort, would reach Tadipatri by the night as the Chairperson’s election is scheduled to be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The TDP has won 18 seats, while its alliance partner CPI won one seat, An independent candidate has pledged his support to the TDP. The YSRCP has won 16 seats and has two ex-officio members —Tadipatri MLA Kethireddy Peddareddy and Anantapur MP Talari Rangaiah.
HC quashes MLC’s plea
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has rejected the plea of TDP MLC Deepak Reddy seeking that he be allowed to be included as an ex-officio member of the Tadipatri Municipality.
