ANANTAPUR: The ghost of Zilla Parishad Chairperson's election, which was lost by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) even after having a majority of ZPTC members, of last July appears to be still haunting the party. A similar situation is staring the opposition party with the polling for election of members for District Planning Council (DPC) scheduled on April 7.

The bitter experience has again forced the TDP to conduct camp for its ZPTC members, reportedly in Venkatapuram village, the native place of Penukonda legislator Paritala Sunita, to hold its flock together from any enticement of the Congress. The numbers assume significance once again as the two TDP members who have defected during the Chairperson's election remain disqualified.

Though the defected members moved the court against disqualification, the court is yet to take a decision and the status quo of disqualification continues. Thus, the Congress strength in the ZP is reduced to 30 against 31 of the TDP. It is likely to play key in the two parties' efforts to keep the DPC in their kitty. Lack of numbers forced the Congress-led ZP to adopt resolutions against the Government in January this year.

Of the 30 members required to constitute the DPC, ZP Chairperson and District Collector will automatically become members and another four from experts and minorities are to be nominated by the Collector. Of the remaining 24 to be elected, 19 will be chosen from among the ZPTC members and five from the Mayor/Municipal Chairpersons and corporators/councillors.

The TDP has already bagged one seat reserved for SC women as there are no SC women members among the Congress ZPTC members. For the remaining 18 DPC member posts 36 candidates, 18 each from Congress and TDP are in the fray. For the five urban members' posts, 10 candidates are in the fray - five from the Congress, four from the TDP and one from the CPI(M). The total electorate for urban seats is 266 from one municipal corporation and five municipalities.

The DPC election provides another opportunity to the TDP to gain an upper hand not only in the administration in the district but also politically, if it succeeds in holding the flock together!

Illiteracy blues

Meanwhile, lack of party symbols in the election of member and use of only cross mark against the names is haunting both the Congress and the TDP as they have four and three illiterate ZPTC members, respectively. There are also several illiterates among the corporators/councillors.

When contacted, ZP officials say such members can vote only with the help of polling officers and not with the help of their colleagues. Action can't be taken against the members in the event of their defection as there are no party symbols. Besides, there is the danger of votes becoming invalid, if the illiterate members either tick correct mark or write numbers.

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