Hyderabad: Buffeted by desertion from its ranks, the TPCC is ask its candidates for the local bodies elections to give an undertaking on a Rs 20 bond paper that they will not defect after they elected.
TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that there was no other go to protect the party’s elected candidates, given the strategies of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday held a meeting with senior leaders at Gandhi Bhavan. The meeting, attended by CLP leader Malli Bhatti Vikramarka, senior leaders K. Jana Reddy, Shabbir Ali and others decided to decentralise the process on selecting candidates and issuing B Forms.
Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy gave A Forms to all district Congress Committee (DCC) presidents which authorises them to issue B Forms to candidates.
Elsewhere, amid speculation that three Cong-ress MLAs will defect, Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah, one of those named, attended a meeting of party leaders at Gandhi Bhavan on Sunday.
Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy appointed Mr Veeraiah as incharge DCC president of Bhadrachalam district.
The undertaking prepared by the TPCC says, “I shall abide by all the rules and regulations of the Indian National Congress and I shall strictly follow the decisions of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Comm-ittee and/or All India Congress Committee during the five-year tenure of my elected post.”
“I accept that as ZPTC, I am a public servant and liable for penal action for violating this written undertaking. I also accept that any voter of my territorial constituency can initiate civil / criminal proceedings against me for breach of trust if I change from the Indian National Congress or disobey any party decisions.”
The undertaking says, “I shall not change my party and shall not tender my support to any other party during Zilla Parishad Chairperson / Vice-Chairperson elections. I shall vote only for Indian National Congress candidate. I will accept and abide by all Congress whips and decisions.”
“I shall be liable for any civil or criminal or both actions for disobeying the Indian National Congress’ decisions and I shall not do anything that damages the party’s image during the course of my tenure. I shall support unconditionally the Indian National Congress decisions in the selection and election process of ZP Chairperson / Vice Chairperson and I hereby undertake to vote as per the guidelines of Indian National Congress,” the undertaking says.
All the ZPTC candidates have to sign and submit the undertaking to the party.
