Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

TDP, Congress gear up to fight it out

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, JAN. 15. The Telugu Desam Party and the Congress are going all out to win the Somandepalli ZPTC by-election, polling for which is scheduled for January 16. The result is likely to have a significant impact on the political scenario in Penukonda Assembly constituency and the Zilla Parishad.

By-election for the ZPTC was necessitated after the murder of Aswartha Narayana (TDP) in September last following political rivalry. The by-election has been taken as a prestigious issue by the TDP legislator, Paritala Ravindra, and his political rival, G. Bhanumati, of the Congress.

High stakes for TDP

The two parties had mixed results in several MPTC and sarpanch by-elections held after the Assembly elections. The ZPTC by-election also assumes significance due to the continuing stalemate over the Zilla Parishad Chairpersonship, after the TDP had suspended the incumbent, Jonna Suryanarayana, from the party in July last.

However, the TDP has higher stakes in the by-election as the Congress tally in Zilla Parishad will become equal to the TDP, if the latter succeeds in wresting the seat. Presently, the TDP has 30 ZPTCs, Congress 29, CPI 1 and BJP 1, keeping aside Jonna Suryanarayana's membership and Somandepalli vacancy.

Prestigious fight

The Congress has been eying the Chairpersonship for the last six months by making Jonna Suryanarayana to step down. The TDP in Penukonda constituency is not willing to lose further ground to the Congress as it has already lost the Chennekothapalli ZPTC to the latter in the by-election held after the Assembly polls.

As part of campaigning, the two parties are learnt to have already sent their lieutenants from Chennekothapalli and Ramagiri mandals to Somandepalli to "influence" the rival voters.

Meanwhile, the police, on its part, is taking no chances and has already deployed 260 personnel in the mandal.

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Crucial ZPTC bypoll in Somandepalli today
TDP, Congress gear up to fight it out

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