ZPTC, MPTC vote counting to be held today

The TRS, Congress and the BJP are keeping their fingers crossed ahead of the counting of votes of the zilla and mandal parishad territorial constituencies (ZPTC, MPTC) elections on Tuesday.

Depending on the outcome, the TRS and Congress are preparing to organise camps to safeguard their elected members from poaching by rival parties. This will become unnecessary in districts where the contest is one-sided.

The verdict would be crucial for all political parties as the winners elect the zilla parishad chairpersons and mandal presidents who will play a vital role in strengthening the party’s ranks.

The MPP elections will be held on June 7, and the ZP elections on June 8.

The competition is so keen, and the suspicions so deep, that the State Election Commission postponed the counting of votes to June 4, instead of the originally scheduled May 27, on the demand of the Opposition parties. The Opposition contended that leaving a long gap between the ZPTC and MPTC poll results and the ZP and MPP elections would leave space for horse-trading in seats where the contest is close.

The state government also amended the Panchayat Raj Act to conduct the ZP chairpersons and MPP presidents on June 7 and 8 respectively without the ZPTC and MPTCs taking



oath.

The tenure of the incumbent ZPTC and MPTC members lasts till July 5. Those elected on Tuesday can take their oath only after that. In an effort to prevent horse-trading, the government has allowed the newly-elected members to vote in the ZP and MPP polls without taking oath.

The verdict of the ZPTC and MPTC elections is expected to give a picture of the actual strength of the parties at the grassroot level. The TRS and Congress are conducting camps where ZPTC and MPTC candidates have been hidden away to prevent their poaching.

All three parties have experienced ups and downs since December, the TRS having won the Assembly elections but suffering a setback in the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress and the BJP performing poorly in the state polls but redeeming themselves in the Lok Sabha elections.

A total of 2,426 candidates contested for 538 ZPTC seats and 18,930 for the 5,817 MPTC seats. Polls were held in three phases across the state in the last month.

The State Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for the counting of votes. Counting will be held in 123 centres in 978 halls. Poll staff will count ZPTC votes first and MPTC votes later. The SEC has deputed 35,529 members for counting day.