VIZIANAGARAM: A day before the election to the Zilla Parishad Chairperson post an imminent show down between Ministers Botcha Satyanarayana and Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju groups is on the cards. The rivalry between the two Ministers has once again come to the fore.

If the election is not held on Wednesday for want of quorum it will be held on Thursday, as per the notification of the Election Commission.

The post fell vacant following the election of Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi, former ZP Chairperson and wife of Botcha Satyanarayana, to the Lok Sabha from Bobbili parliamentary constituency last month. G. Sudershana Rao, who is the vice-chairman and a close associate of Mr. Vijayarama Raju, is now acting Chairperson.

Brother in fray

Mr. Satyanarayana is making every effort to install his brother and ZPTC member from Dattirajeru in the seat. Accordingly, he has gathered support of 14 ZPTC members and lodged them in a hotel here. The Congress has 23 members out of 34 ZPTCs in the district.

While Mr. Satyanarayana has been arguing that his wife contested the byelection to Bobbili LS and won only after the Chief Minister assured him that his brother would be installed in the post, Mr. Vijayarama Raju, who had in the past demanded the post for the other major caste (Velamas) in the district, is against giving all the key posts to the Botcha family. It may be recalled that Mr. Vijayarama Raju had opposed Mrs. Jhansi Lakshmi in the past too and ran a parallel camp with his supporters.

But with the interference of the Chief Minister he had agreed to her continuation for the second term.

Camping in capital

Now, both Ministers are camping in Hyderabad to voice their demand before the Chief Minister and are reportedly ready to quit their posts in exchange for the ZP Chairperson post going their way.

Meanwhile, observing the happenings in the Congress camp, the TDP has kept its flock together and also sought support of the CPI(M) and the independent.

In the event of a division of vote the TDP is likely to support Mr. Vijayarama Raju's aide only to upstage the Botcha's family dominance in the district.

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