Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy set to capitalise on Bhuma Nagi Reddy's legacy
KURNOOL: The district administration has made necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the local authorities constituency MLC election at three polling stations to be held on March 17 in the district. This would be the first test for TD since the sudden demise of Bhuma Nagi Reddy. TD candidate Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy has emerged unchallenged within the party with there being no one to checkmate him. Even Bhuma supporters are rallying behind him. YSRC candidate Gowru Venkat Reddy is banking on cross votes.
According to district collector Ch. Vijaya Mohan, 1,084 representatives of local bodies will exercise their franchise in the election. One polling centre has been allotted in each of the three revenue divisions like Kurnool, Nandyal and Adoni. All precautionary measures have been taken as per the guidelines of the Election Commission. Polling will start at 8 am and end at 4 pm of Friday.
Superintendent of Police A. Ravi Krishna said that as many as 1,400 police personnel including two additional SPs and six DSPs besides six special party force and eight platoons will be deployed for the election. Of the total number of electorate, 53 are ZPTC members, 804 MPTCs and 227 municipal councillors. The TD has a strength of 500, YSRC has 475 and Congress has 40. The remaining 69 elected representatives belong to other parties including independent candidates.
Nearly 70 of the total 475 YSRC representatives are said to be loyal to TD. Some of the YSRC and Congress MPTCs and ZPTCs and those belonging to the TD may resort to cross voting. Hence, the YSRC and TD are trying to keep their flock together. The political parties have set up camps at undisclosed locations and shifted their MPTCs and ZPTCs from their constituencies.
Meanwhile YSRC chief Gowru Venkat Reddy and MLC candidate said that police are foisting cases on opposition party candidates and immobilising them. The campaign for local authorities constituency elections has come to an end on Wednesday evening. He said vehicles belonging to YSRC are being checked and immobilised under the pretext of transporting cash, he said.
