Opposition petitions SEC over ZP Chairmen and MPPs

Hyderabad: Leader of Congress, TDP and other opposition parties on Friday demanded that the Telangana State Election Commission either pre-pone the election of ZP Chairpersons and MPPs or postpone the counting of ZPTC/ MPTC elections.

In a letter to SEC V. Nagi Reddy, TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, TDP President L. Ramana and other leaders, said that the State Election Commission has announced that the counting for ZPTCs and MPTCs would be on 27 May while the ZPTCs would elect ZP Chairperson and MPTCs would elect MPP after 5th July. "The long gap of over 40 days would surely result in huge horse trading and buying / selling of ZPTCs and MPTCs, to the benefit of ruling TRS party. The whole Telangana society has watched how the ruling TRS party has misused the government machinery and police force and used money to threaten or bribe other party elected representatives from Sarpanches to MPs to illegally join their party over the last 5 years. This is nothing but cheating the mandate of the people of Telangana," they said.

Therefore, they said in order to prevent or reduce horse trading and corrupt practices, the election of ZP Chairperson and MPPs should be done within three days of ZPTC and MPTC election counting. The elected ZP chairpersons / MPPs can take charge on the due date after 5th July after the tenure of the present ZP chairpersons / MPPs is completed, they said.

"If you feel the above is not acceptable, then kindly postpone the counting of ZPTC / MPTC elections to the first week of July. You may have the counting of ZPTC / MPTC elections in the last week of June or first week of July 2019 and schedule the election of ZP Chairpersons / MPPs three days later. They can take charge on due date," the opposition leaders demanded.