KAKINADA: YSR Congress has selected Vipparthi Venugopal as chairman of East Godavari zilla parishad and Kovuri Srinivas for West Godavari ZP chief.
Their election as ZP chiefs is scheduled to be held on Saturday at 3 pm. Ruling YSRC has already sent B. Forms to these two leaders.
V. Venugopal is a retired superintendent engineer of Irrigation Department, who subsequently joined YSR Congress. He is coordinator of the party in P. Gannavaram assembly constituency. He has now been elected as ZPTC from P. Gannavaram mandal.
Pithapuram ZPTC B. Anu Babu and Thondangi ZPTC Padmalatha are likely to be elected as vice chairpersons of East Godavari ZP.
Kovuri Srinivas has been chosen by YSRC high command for the post of West Godavari zilla parishad. He is a strong follower of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He had aspired for Achanta assembly ticket in 2019 elections but could not be accommodated. His name has now been recommended for ZP chairman’s post.
Meanwhile, compared to YSRCP's clean sweep of mandal parishad seats, Telugu Desam Party has narrowly missed staking claim for Kurnool MPP despite the fact that it has 10 MPPs and an independent supporting it, while YSRC got 12 seats. Both YSRC and TDP are accusing each other of engineering defections by luring elected MPPs.
Kurnool mayor B.Y. Ramaiah, who is also the parliamentary party unit president, said it is unprecedented that a single party has made 100 per cent gains in mandal and zilla parishad elections. He attributed the gains to Navarathnalu of the ruling party and charisma of Jagan Mohan Reddy, apart from relentless coordination by Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy.
In Gospadu mandal, YSRCP followers in Rayapadu village have shifted loyalties and joined TDP. Former MLA Bhuma Bramhananda Reddy welcomed them into the party.
