Tilting Balance In ZPTC Polls : Independents pose threat to major contestants

Hyderabad: Independents have been posing a threat to the candidates of main political parties in Zilla Parishad and Mandal Territorial Constituency elections in the state.

Presence of at least one or two Independents in each of the ZPTC and MPTC seat have made the contest a four or five-cornered one giving jitters to the candidates of the main political parties.

The ongoing polling process for the ZPTC and MPTCs would end on May 14 with the polling in the third phase. The counting of votes would be taken up on May 27.

In three phases of the elections, about 469 Independents are in the fray after the announcement of the list of the final contesting candidates for the 537 ZPTCs.

As many as 4,418 Independents are in the fray for the 5,170 MPTC posts. In the first phase, about 193 Independents are contesting for the 197 ZPTC posts, 162 for 180 ZPTCs in the second phase and in the third phase, 214 for 161 ZPTCs.

As many as 1,666 for 2166 MPTCs in the contest for the first phase, 1249 for 1913 in the second phase and 1503 for 1738 MPTCs in the third phase.

In many of the MPTCs, there are more than two Independents in the fray. As far as ZPTC seats are concerned, two Independents are in the fray in most of the seats.

According to political leaders, the presence of Independents is a big trouble to the candidates of the main parties. The Independents can tilt the balance in favour of anyone.

The margins in the MPTC seats would be less and a candidate may lose the seat by a margin of less than 10 votes.

Each MPTC has about 3000 voters on the average and the winner requires about 1300 votes in a direct fight. But the Independents have changed the scenario.

The number of votes required to win a seat has gone down to 650 as four-cornered contest is taking place in many of the seats.

Candidates of the main parties -- Congress, TRS and BJP -- are in the contest in all the ZPTC and MPTC seats. If one strong Independent is added to them, four-cornered contest would be there in each of the MPTC and ZPTC seat.

Some of the Independent candidates are the rebels of the TRS or Congress.

More than one leader of those parties has filed papers for each seat expecting the official nomination.

With the efforts of the local leaders, many of them have withdrawn their candidatures. However, still a few rebels are in the fray as per the list of the final contesting candidates.