Telugu Desam bags 10 Zilla Parishad posts, YSR Congress 1

Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam swept Zilla Parishad (ZP) chairperson posts in the elections held on Saturday.

Of the 13 ZPs,  the TD won 10 and the YSRC won one, while Prakasam and Nellore ZP elections were postponed. The TD succeeded in bagging Kurnool ZP post despite the YSRC bagging majority ZPTCs and also succeeded in postponement of Prakasam and Nellore ZP elections where the YSRC had the majority ZPTCs. District collectors and presiding officers of Nellore and Prakasam districts  announced the postponement of the elections for ZP chairpersons posts after clashes erupted between the two parties.

In AP, of the 13 ZPs, the TD bagged nine districts while the YSRC won in four districts. In Prakasam and Nellore, tension prevailed after the TD and YSRC members came to blows. In both the districts, the YSRC had a clear majority. In Kurnool, of the 53 ZPTCs, the YSRC won 28 and TD won 21 ZPTCs. But nine YSRC ZPTCs joined the TD. Two Congress ZPTCs and one Independent ZPTC also shifted  loyalties  to the TD. After the TD bagged the support of 33 ZPTCs, YSRC’s strength dipped to 19 resulting in the TD candidate Rajasekhar Goud being elected chairperson.

In East Godavari, supporters of rival TD ZP chairperson came to blows in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister N. Chinna Rajappa. TD rivals opposed the selection of Namana Rambabu for ZP chief  and supported ZPTC P. Rajasekhar, but TD’s official candidate was elected.

TD won  Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Chittoor, Ananthapur and Kurnool ZP chief  posts  while YSRCP won the lone  Kadapa ZP chief post.

AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu congratulated all successful TDP ZP chairpersons and vice chairmen. He expressed happiness over the election of more women as ZP and MPP chairpersons.

The newly elected chairpersons of ZP include Chowdary Dhana Lakshmi, Srikakulam (TDP), Swathi Rani, Vijayanagaram, L. Bhavani, Visakhapatnam, Namana Rambabu, East Godavari, M. Bapi Raju, West Godavari, Gadde Anuradha, Krishna, Sheik Janimoon, Guntur, Rajasekhar Goud, Kurnool, D Chaman, Anantapur, N Geervani, Chittoor, and Guduru Ravi, Kadapa (YSRC).