Delay in electing a Mayor to the Chittoor Municipal Corporation after the double murder of Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband Katari Mohan seven months ago is leading to restlessness among the ruling TDP corporators.
Of the 50 divisions in the corporation, the TDP enjoys majority with 36 members.
Though everyone thought that the election notification would be issued for the Ganganapalle division, which fell vacant following the murder in November 2015, within six months as per the norms, the scenario suggests no such development in the coming months. The double murder has shattered the peaceful atmosphere in Chittoor and its impact is being felt as regular civic administration remains hamstrung in the absence of a regular Mayor.
As the post is reserved for the Mahila-BC category, some of the TDP corporators are slowly emerging to stake their claim and even representing the same to party supremo and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The aspirants say that though Mr. Naidu had given a word to the family members of the slain couple that the post would be offered to them, he seems to have second thoughts on it.
Family rivalry between the slain couple and their close relative and A1 accused S. Chandrasekhar alias Chintu is viewed as one of the factors affecting the general peace in the town.
The recent bomb blast on the court premises was also linked to the double murder.
The slain couple’s son, Katari Praveen, had approached the district police as also Home Minister Chinarajappa, fearing threat to his life.
A section of the TDP leaders is said to have told the Chief Minister that offering the Mayor post to the Katari family does not auger well.
Meanwhile, women TDP corporators fulfilling the criterion contend that they should be given a chance.
They say that though the Katari family had bagged the post in 2014 under the category, the caste factor was executed “technically” as the family widely represented the dominant Balija community, an upper caste.
To substantiate their point, the aspirants say that the political affairs of the corporation are managed by leaders of the dominant Balija and Kamma communities, with D.A. Satyaprabha as Chittoor MLA and Geervani as ZP chairperson.
One of the aspirants C.M. Vijaya, who belongs to the Rajaka community, says that her family has been serving the TDP for the last two decades.
“Though I was denied the B-form in both the 2000 and 2014 civic elections, I won in my area as an independent. Later, I worked for the party despite oppression during the Congress rule between 2004 and 2014. Though I represent the 45th division now, my services extended over five divisions, tackling, among others issues, the perennial drinking water problem and streamlining the public distribution system. I have urged the Chief minister to give me an opportunity and am waiting for his response,” she said.
She further said that she was the senior most among all the 36 TDP corporators. Many were either new entrants or had migrated from other parties.
