The ruling YSR Congress Party is all set to sweep the local body elections in Prakasam district going by the trend in the ZPTC and MPTC seats declared unanimous.
Buchepalli Venkaiamma, the YSRCP nominee for the Zilla Parishad Chairperson post won unanimously and 12 other Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies(ZPTCs) in the district with 56 ZPTC seats.
As many as 350 of the 742 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency(MPTC) seats were decided unanimously making it comfortable for YSRCP coming to power in 15 MPPs.
Meanwhile, Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy calming the partymen upset with the postponement of the local body elections by the State Election Commission(SEC), said: “People’s health is more important. None can stop the YSRCP’s ascendancy to power in the Zilla and Mandal parishads.”
More defections from the opposition TDP are in the offing, he said after Sidda Hanumantha Rao, brother of former TDP Minister Sidda Raghava Rao joined the party here along with his followers on Sunday.
Leaders cutting across party lines were eager to join the ruling party impressed with the “pro-people” policies of the Jagan Mohan Government, he opined, adding that it would be better if former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu realised this and retired from politics.
Meanwhile, TDP Prakasam district President Damacharla Janardhana Rao demanded conduct of the local body elections by the Election Commission of India in a free and fair manner starting the filing of nomination process afresh.
Kurnool
Candidates of the YSR Congress party were elected unanimously in 15 of the 53 ZPTC seats in the district. Apart from that, they have also swept nine mandals, in both ZPTC and MPTC seats.
According to data released by district authorities, Banaganipalle, Gospadu, Koilkuntla, Chippagiri, Sanjamala, Bethamcherla, Kosigi, Manthralayam, Owk, Kolimigundla, Uyyalawada, Bandi Atmakur, Holagunda, Peaupuly and Krishnagiri were swept by the ruling party.
The places where candidates secured both ZPTC and MPTC seats were: Bethamcherla, Peapully, Uyyalawda, Banaganapalli, Koilkuntla, Kolimigundla, Sanjamala, Kosigi and Chippagiri.
Speaking with The Hindu, Kurnool Parliament Constituency in-charge B.Y. Ramaiah said that about 244 MPTCs have been won across the district unanimously.
Allegations
While the TDP leaders allege that their candidates were threatened or wooed by the ruling party members, Mr. Ramaiah completely brushed off their allegations. “YSRCP is not a party that threatens people. We have never tried to woo anyone. It is TDP’s policy to threaten and woo people,” he said.
“Did we ask MLC K.E. Prabhakar to resign from TDP? Why are the TDP leaders now lining up to join YSRCP?” he questioned.
Explaining the unanimous victory, Mr. Ramaiah claimed that the TDP leaders are not in a position to ask for votes from the people. “They have not done anything productive,” he said.
He added that the TDP leaders are unable to give their nominations because they knew that the YSRCP would win the local body elections.
Tirupati
In Tirupati too, the ruling YSR Congress Party seems to be resolute in continuing its winning streak, going by the number of local body seats it has won unanimously.
Chandragiri Assembly Constituency, represented by government whip and TUDA Chairman Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, seems to have achieved a rare distinction where 86 out of the 95 seats have been unanimously won by the YSR Congress, giving 95% majority to the ruling party.
Only one ZPTC and five MPTC seats are going for elections in the constituency. The ‘unanimous spree’ also saw the debut of Mr. Bhaskar Reddy’s son Ch. Mohith Reddy into direct politics, as he was declared elected as MPTC member of Perumallapalle-1 seat in Tirupati rural mandal.
Similarly, Thamballapalle Constituency saw all the 72 MPTC and six ZPTC seats going unanimously into YSRC’s kitty. In Punganur, represented by party strongman and Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, the ruling party won 65 out of 69 MPTC seats and all the six ZPTCs without contest.
The YSRC won all but one in Srikalahasti segment having 64 MPTC and all four ZPTC seats.
The party, however, claimed that all the seats were won through consensus and sans violence, coercion or allurement. The ‘understanding’ also left the TDP with a handful of seats in many mandals, though it was not happy at the final result.
Anantapur
All the 63 ZPTC seats in Anantapur district will go to polls as and when the dates are finalised.
None of theZPTC aspirant was elected unanimously unlike 41 MPTC members who have been elected unopposed out of 841.
The elections for ZPTCs and MPTCs in Anantapur district would be held when the State Election Commission intimates new dates for local bodies election process to continue.
For the MPTCs, there are a little over 2,000 candidates in fray for the 800 seats, while there are 254 candidates in the race for all the 63 ZPTC seats for which elections will be held.
