Tirupati: Now, focus shifts to ZP Chairman election

Tirupati: At last, the local body election process which was prolonged for over a year, has finally ended with the pending counting process has been completed on Sunday. The process began in March 2020 even though the polls were held on April 8, 2021. However, counting could not be held since then due to court cases. The AP High Court finally gave its nod to go ahead with the counting now.

With the counting process completed at 11 centres in the district peacefully, the focus is now shifted to the election of the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of Zilla Parsihad and Mandal Praja Parishads, which was slated for September 24 by the State Election Commission. Out of 65 ZPTC seats, YSRCP has won 30 seats unanimously earlier while election to two seats was stopped due to the death of candidates. Now, the elections were held in 33 seats and YSRCP bagged all seats. Similarly, out of 886 MPTC seats, elections were held to 419 seats while 433 have become unanimous.

Among the 419 seats that went to polls, YSRCP bagged 389 while TDP secured 25 seats and the remaining five seats won by independents. Out of the unanimously elected candidates, 410 belong to YSRCP whereas 8 were TDP, CPI – 1 and independents 14. Election was not held for 34 seats as 11 candidates have died during the election process while at the remaining 23 seats it has to be stopped due to court cases and others.

After establishing its clear domination in the local body elections, the ruling YSRCP has been concentrating on elections of chairmen and vice-chairmen of ZP and 65 MPPs. As the ZP Chairman seat was made general, the ruling party was learnt to have made its mind already on fielding its nominee G Srinivasulu, who won from V Kota ZPTC seat. As there is no opposition, his election may become unanimous.

TDP was humiliated in the local body elections. The ruling party has bagged all municipalities and corporations in the district without giving any chance to TDP. Even in gram panchayat elections, the opposition party was cut to size.

Though it has boycotted the MPTC and ZPTC elections, by that time the party candidates have already filed their papers and could win only 33 seats out of 886 MPTCs and could not even one ZPTC seat. Giving a big blow to the TDP, party Chief N Chandrababu Naidu's constituency Kuppam ZPTC seat was bagged by YSRCP. Thus, YSRCP has established its clear majority in all the 14 Assembly segments. YSRCP candidate Rajaiah was declared elected from Naidu's native village Naravaripalle MPTC seat in Chandragiri constituency by 1,347 votes. TDP could win only five MPTCs out of 96 seats in this segment. Similarly, out of 69 MPTC seats in Kuppam TDP bagged only three seats. YSRCP candidates emerged victorious from all the six ZPTCs in Chandragiri segment and four in Kuppam constituency.