"Conduct ZP chairperson poll within 3 days of ZPTC/MPTC poll

Congress, TDP and other opposition parties in Telangana Friday urged the State Election Commission to hold ZP Chairperson election within three days after votes are counted in the ZPTC and MPTC polls. State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, TDP's Telangana unit president L Ramana and other leaders met state election commissioner Nagi Reddy and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

They said any long gap in the counting of votes and declaration of results in ZPTC and MPTC polls and subsequent election of ZP Chairpersons and Mandal Praja Parishad (MPP) would lead to horse-trading and corrupt practices. The Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) elections were held in three phases this month.

The counting of votes would be taken up on May 27. Referring to the SEC's reported comments that ZP Chairpersons and MPP would be elected after July 5, the memorandum claimed the long gap would lead to horse-trading to the benefit of the ruling TRS.

"The State Election Commission has announced that counting for ZPTCs & MPTCs would be on 27 May 2019. You have also announced that ZPTCs would elect ZP Chairperson and MPTCs would elect MPP after 5th July," it said. "The long gap of over 40 days would surely result in huge horse trading and buying/selling of ZPTCs and MPTCs, to the benefit of ruling TRS party," the memorandum said.

It requested that the election of ZP Chairperson and MPPs be held within three days of ZPTC and MPTCs election counting to prevent horse-trading. Alternatively, the counting of ZPTC and MPTC elections should be postponed to the first week of July. The election of ZP Chairpersons and MPPs can be scheduled three days later, according to the memorandum.

In either case, the elected ZP Chairpersons and MPPs can take charge on due date after July 5, it added.

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