TDP women to head North Andhra ZPs - TeluguPeople.com News

VISAKHAPATNAM: After over three years, the stage has been set to invite the elected governing bodies in the zilla praja parishads of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.

The Telugu Desam Party has won absolute majority in the three districts to lead the ZPPs. For the first time the three ZPs will be headed by women, including the Vizianagaram one, reserved for ST woman.

Pending last minute changes, Lalam Bhavani in Visakhapatnam, Shobha Swathi in Vizianagaram and Chowdhari Dhanalakshmi in Srikakulam will head their respective ZPPs.

The counting in the PR elections ended Wednesday. Out of the 39 ZPTCs in Visakhapatnam, the TDP bagged 24 and the YSRC 15. In Vizianagaram district, out of the total 34 ZPTCs, the TDP won 24 and YSRC 10.

In Srikakulam, which has 38 ZPTCs, the TDP pocketed 22 ZPTCs while YSRC landed 16. Despite the vigorous contest by YSRC candidates, the TDP nominees registered thumping victories in the three districts.

According to the reservation norms, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam ZP chairperson posts have been declared 'unreserved women', while Vizianagaram ZP has been reserved for ST-Woman. The TDP high command has given a free hand to the district-level leadership to choose the chairpersons before the elections.

TDP senior leaders' close relatives have opted for the chairperson posts. While Visakhapatnam ZP prospective chairperson Lalam Bhavani is the wife of Lalam Bhaskara Rao, who was elected from Rambilli, Srikakulam ZP prospective chairperson Ch Dhanalakshmi, who was elected from Etcherla is Choudhary Babjee's wife.

For Vizianagaram, the expected ZP chairperson is Shobha Swathi Rani, daughter of Former MLA and Telugu Mahila state president Shobha Haimavathi, who was elected from Vepada.

Swathi is a doctor in Hyderabad and has shifted to S.Kota. A political greenhorn, Swathi tried for the party's Araku Lok Sabha ticket, but the party asked her to contest for the ZPTC and promised her the ZP chairperson post if the party bags majority ZPTCs.

Though the three prospective ZP chairpersons are novices in politics and administration, they have strong backing from their husbands and mother.

ZP chairperson post is of cabinet rank and has the onerous task of entire rural governance. The ZPTCs and their chairpersons will have to maintain direct rapport with the people and solve their problems. Each ZP has an annual budget of over `400 crore.