Ongole: Amid high drama, TD rebel candidate Edara Haribabu, who contested as an Independent candidate, was elected as the zilla parishad chairman on Sunday with the support of the YSR Congress. He secured 28 votes, while the TD candidate Manne Ravindra bagged 27 votes. district collector and ZP chairman election officer G.S.R.K.R. Vijayakumar announced that Haribabu has been elected as ZP chairman after consulting state election officials.
He had also consulted Prakasam district ZP election observer Danam Kishore. YSRC ZPTC Nukasani Balaji, who contested as an Independent candidate, was elected as the ZP vice-chairman. He got 28 votes, while TD candidate P. Koteswaramma secured 27 votes. The YSRC ZPTCs violated the party whip and voted in favour of Edara Haribabu in the ZP chairman election. They voted in favour of
Nukasani Balaji, who contested as an Independent in the ZP vice-chairman election.
Similarly, Edara Haribabu defied party whip and voted in favour of him in the ZP chairman election and supported Nukasani Balaji in the ZP vice-chairman election.
Mr Vijayakumar said, “I object to both parties violating the party whip and will send it to the state election commission in the next three days. The EC will take a decision within a week,” he added.
The YSRC extended its support to a TD rebel candidate who contested as an Independent to teach a lesson to the TD. It was a big jolt to the Telugu Desam.
Meanwhile, the police arrested YSRC ZPTC Juvvadi Venkata Ranga Reddy on Sunday. He was booked under SC/ST atrocity laws at Santamaglur and produced in court which remanded him to 14 days judicial custody.
Reacting to his arrest in the Zilla Parishad chairman election, MP Y.V. Subba Reddy said, “The Telugu Desam intentionally arrested Venkata Ranga Reddy and hatched a conspiracy to defeat the YSRC in the ZP election.”
He demanded that Venkata Ranga Reddy should be allowed to vote in the ZP chairman and vice-chairman election.
Mr Vijayakumar, however, said, “The police will produce him before the magistrate and he will take a decision.”
