Wary Congress plans to seek affidavits from MPTC, ZPTC contestants

Hyderabad: Stung by defection of MLCs and MLAs from the party, Congress is devising a tactic to check the possible defections after ZPTC and MPTC elections. To achieve this goal, the Grand Old Party is contemplating to seek affidavits from the candidates contesting the MPTC and ZPTC elections.

Already the Congress candidate from Karimnagar parliamentary constituency Ponnam Prabhakar has made an affidavit stating that he would remain with the Congress after getting elected. However, the party is yet to take a decision on the format of the affidavit. While some have suggested that the party should put a condition to give ticket that affidavit has to be submitted by the aspirant that after winning the elected ZPTC and MPTC he or she would remain with the Congress.

Some other leaders have suggested that submitting the affidavit should be made voluntary act. The candidates should be encouraged to make affidavit that he or she would remain with the Congress after winning the polls.

On the other hand, PCC president N Uttam Kumar said that the authority to select the candidates for the MPTC and ZPTCs has been given to the local leaders with a slogan 'select and elect'. He asked the voters to enroll in the voter lists as there was still a chance. The date to register names in the voter lists would end on April 19. He said that the ZP chairperson candidates would be selected by the Pradesh Congress Committee.

Uttam Kumar Reddy held a meeting with the district Congress Committee presidents along with party's State affairs incharge RC Khuntia at Gandhi Bhavan and discussed the nitty gritty of the elections.

Explaining the points of discussion of the meetings working president of PCC Ponnam Prabhakar and J Kusuma Kumar said that the wind is blowing in favour of Congress. They said that fearing impact of Parliament elections on the local body elections, the ruling party has advanced the polls.

They said that the party has been aiming to win at least 20 Zilla Parishads. The leaders who have contested in the Parliament and Assembly elections would assist the ZPTC and MPTC candidates.