BJP demands direct polls to Mandal Parishads, ZPs

Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded that the State government conduct direct elections to Mandal Parishads and Zilla Parishads. It also demanded amendments to the existing Panchayat Raj Act to give powers to MPTCs and ZPTCs and restore 34 per cent reservation for Backward Classes.

A 11-member delegation led by its State president K Laxman comprised former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and other senior leaders met Governor E S L Narasimhan and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

Addressing media after meeting the Governor, Laxman, Bandaru Dattatreya and G Kishan Reddy said they had appealed to the Governor to ensure that the elections to the local bodies are held after completion of the process of general elections. This would help all stakeholders to give greater attention to the elections to the local bodies.

The BJP delegation briefed Narasimhan that the State government was planning to hold elections for 32 Zilla Parishads, 535 ZPTCs, 535 MPPs and 5857 MPTCs from April 22. The BJP leaders found fault with the State government's decision to conduct Panchayat elections when the entire focus is on general elections, they said.

Laxman said the State government had brought down the percentage of reservations for BCs from 34 to 23 on the basis of Supreme Court judgement.

It was important to reconsider the decision as Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao time and again said the BC population was high.The BJP leader pointed out that the indirect elections to local bodies would negate the spirit of the 73 and 74 Constitutional amendments.