Icchapuram TDP Leaders Violate Code of Conduct and Chandrababu's orders to Boycott MPTC ZPTC Polls

SRIKAKULAM: Even as the  Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has decided to boycott the Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) elections to be held in Andhra Pradesh, a few of the TDP leaders in the state are conducting meetings ahead of the elections, against his orders.

The TDP in a meeting held on Friday and presided over by its chief N Chandrababu Naidu decided to boycott the ZPTC and MPTC elections.

Even after his call for a boycott of the election, few TDP leaders are holding meetings in villages and some of them are freely violating the model code of conduct.

In one such instance, TDP leaders from Ichapuram mandal in Srikakulam district have used the temple premises as a venue for their meeting. Conducting election rallies in places such as temples, schools, and government offices is a violation of the Election Model Code of Conduct.

On Saturday, the TDP leaders held a meeting at the 'Svechavati Ammavaru Temple' in Ichchapuram, which is worshipped by the people of Odisha-Andhra origin and violated the code.

Devotees were miffed with the temple committee members for allowing them to conduct a political meeting.  Not just that the local TDP leaders here have gone against the Party Chief N Chandrababu Naidu's dikkat of boycotting the elections.

In a meeting chaired by former MP Dakktha Dhilli Rao, it was decided to contest and campaign for 13 MPTC and ZPTC seats in Ichchapuram mandal.
The decision to not participate in the MPTC/ZPTC elections has also not gone down well with a few senior TDP leaders. Former Jaggampeta MLA Jyothula Nehru resigned as the TDP state vice-president in protest against the party's decision to refrain from competing in the upcoming MPTC/ZPTC elections. Jyothula in protest over Chandrababu Naidu's decision to boycott the MPTC and ZPTC elections in the State, tendered his resignation.

Also Read: Jyothula Nehru Resigns As TDP Vice-President

It may be recollected that the newly appointed State Election Commissioner Nilam Sawhney issued a notification on April 1 to continue the ZPTC and MPTC election process where it was paused last year in March. The polls will be held on April 8 and the counting of votes will take place on April 10.