Exactly 10 months after the brutal double murder of Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband K. Mohan in her chamber here, a race is on for the post.
With Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana stating that the schedule for by-elections to various municipal wards and corporation divisions would be announced soon, the political activity has gained momentum here.
A few days ago, Katari Hemalatha, daughter-in-law of the slain couple, submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu seeking that she be named the contestant from the 33rd division (Ganganapalle) of the corporation that had fallen vacant following the murder.
Though the Katari couple represent the dominant Balija (Kapu) community, Ms. Hemalatha, citing the the example of Anuradha, claims that the Mayor post is reserved for BC-Woman. Ms. Hemalatha, like her mother-in-law, claims to be a BC candidate from her parents’ side.
Three more women aspirants, having considerable clout among senior Telugu Desam Party leaders, seek to enter the fray saying that they hail from the BC community.
Rumours are agog that rivals of the Katari family are preparing to field an independent candidate in Ganganapalle with a view to defeating Ms. Hemalatha.
Chintu alias Chandrasekhar, the accused number one in the murder case, and his relative are said to be working out a plan in this regard.
Meanwhile, supporters of the Katari family say that Mr. Naidu had already given a word that a member of the family would be given an opportunity. Though rivals within the TDP had approached Mr. Naidu with a proposal to field someone else in the Ganganapalle division, he was said to have brushed it aside.
“When the TDP was a non-entity in Chittoor for over two decades, it was the Katari couple which played a crucial role in strengthening the party. Mr Naidu is aware of the truth,” the family’s supporters maintain.
However, senior TDP leaders observe that if a member from the Katari family is not made the Mayor, the prospects of the party would be dented in the 2019 elections.
Meanwhile, the slain couple’s son, Praveen, who maintains close association with Home Minister N. Chinarajappa, has been meeting the corporators and senior party functionaries to ensure his wife’s election is smooth.
