NDA allies fight for Srikakulam ZP chief post

The Contest

The Telugu Desam Party and the Jana Sena Party are fighting over the Srikakulam Zilla Parishad chairperson seat. The TDP won twenty-two out of thirty ZPTC seats in the district. The Jana Sena Party won six seats. The BJP won one seat. The YSRCP won the Narasannapeta ZPTC seat.

Ally Objections

Union Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu and State Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu object to giving the ZP post to the JSP. They point out that the TDP holds a much larger share of the ZPTC wins. Srikakulam Urban Development Authority chairman Korikana Ravikumar wants the post for his wife, Korikana Bhavani. She won from the L. N. Peta seat with a solid majority. Mr. Ravikumar is close to JSP president and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. He wants the post to help build his party at the ground level.

Claims and Deadlines

The seat is reserved for a Backward Class woman. Because of this rule, BJP ZPTC member Siripurapu Triveni from Hiramandalam also wants the role. The alliance already gave the Srikakulam Mayor post to the JSP candidate Daneti Radha Rani. She is the wife of JSP District General Secretary Daneti Sridhar. TDP leaders feel it is wrong to hand both top local posts to the JSP. November sixteenth is the last day to submit nominations for the Mayor post. Parties can submit the B form by November eighteenth. A political analyst notes that the JSP holds strong ground here, making it hard for the TDP to keep its political hold. Chowdary Purushottam Naidu, former State Associate president of the Apngos Association, joined the TDP in Srikakulam on Saturday. He joined in the presence of Minister K. Atchannaidu and Union Minister K. Rammohan Naidu.

Context

Local body elections in India often see political parties bargain hard for top administrative posts like district council chiefs and mayors. When parties form an alliance for elections, sharing power afterward frequently leads to friction over who gets control of key local bodies. These posts help parties build support among voters at the local level and prepare for future state elections.