Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan met Chief Minister and TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday and discussed the seat sharing for MPTC and ZPTC elections. Pawan Kalyan visited Chandrababu Naidu’s residence for the second meeting in as many days. The two leaders held talks for half an hour over the local body elections.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena chiefs discussed the situation, especially as the NDA allies have not reached an understanding over seat sharing in Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) polls. With a formal understanding yet to be reached in the ruling coalition, the aspirants among TDP, Jana Sena and BJP have nominations wherever they felt they have good prospects.
Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan are believed to have discussed how to arrive at a consensus. Pawan Kalyan had also met Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday to discuss the latest development following the Supreme Court’s directive to the State Election Commission (SEC) to extend the nomination process for urban local body elections wherever the candidates of the YSR Congress Party or other candidates could not file nominations because of the law-and-order situation. Following the Supreme Court order, the SEC postponed the municipal elections, originally scheduled for October 28, to November 1.
It also extended the nomination process in four urban local bodies. The NDA partners had already reached a seat-sharing agreement for elections in 100 urban local bodies. Meanwhile, the deadline for filing nominations for MPTC and ZPTC elections is ending on Friday evening.
About 2.81 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in elections to MPTC and ZPTC elections scheduled to be held on November 3. Out of the total 663 ZPTCs, polling will be held for 659 ZPTCs. Similarly, polling will be held for 9,829 MPTCs out of 9,858 MPTCs in the state. Filing of nominations began on October 21. Scrutiny of nominations will be taken up on October 24.
According to the notification, appeals against rejection of nominations can be filed on October 25 before the concerned Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) in case of MPTCs and before the District Collector in case of ZTPCs. The appellate authority will dispose of appeals the next day. According to the SEC, October 27 will be the last day for withdrawal of candidatures.
The same day, a final list of candidates will be published. Polling, wherever necessary, will be conducted on November 3. Repolling, if any, will be held on November 4. Counting of votes will be taken up on November 5.
Andhra local body polls: Pawan Kalyan again meets Chandrababu Naidu
