With the schedule for the first phase of elections to local bodies to be released on Monday, all the political parties have intensified the process of selecting suitable candidates for 15 ZPTC and 178 MPTC seats in the district.
Curbing defections
The Congress party is ahead of others as it has already conducted meetings with the party rank and file to unanimously choose the candidates in the Assembly segment. In a bid to discourage defections, the party even announced that it would collect affidavits from the contestants before the issuance of B forms. The Karimnagar Zilla Parishad chairperson post has been allocated for SC (women) this time as also Choppadandi and Illanthakunta mandal ZPTC seats. But no party has announced its ZP chairperson candidate so far.
Meanwhile, TRS aspirants have been making a beeline to the offices of Minister for Health Eatala Rajender and Karimnagar MP B. Vinod Kumar seeking party tickets.
Election notification
Illandakunta, Huzurabad, Jammikunta, Shankarpatnam, Saidapur, Veenavanka and Manakondur mandals would go for elections in the first phase to elect seven ZPTC members and 89 MPTC members. The notification for the same would be issued on Monday and nominations would be accepted from Monday onwards. The last date to file nominations is April 24.
Scrutiny of nominations would be held on April 25 and objections to them on April 26, while they could be withdrawn on April 28. The elections would be held on May 6.
The second phase of elections would be held to Chigurumamidi, Choppadandi, Gangadhara, Ganneruvaram, Karimnagar rural, Kothapalli, Ramadugu and Thimmapur for eight ZPTC members and 89 MPTC members on May 10. Notification would be issued on April 26 and nominations would be accepted till April 28. Withdrawal of nominations is on May 2.
4,90,660 voters
In 15 mandals, a total of 4,90,660 voters would exercise their franchise in two phases of elections in the district.
The district authorities have decided to open 990 polling stations, including 484 in the first phase and 506 stations in the second phase.
