VIJAYAWADA: Ask any contesting candidate, they say they will choose someday after "Amavasya" (New Moon day) to file nominations.

Amavasya falls on September 3, coming exactly in the middle of the five-day period for filing nominations from September 1 to 5 for the coming civic elections.

TDP leaders in Machilipatnam are more wary of the planets, going by their decision to allow their candidates to file nominations en masse on September 5. Former Minister and senior TDP leader Nadakuditi Narasimha Rao says the party candidates are not willing to file nominations any day from September 2 to 4. So September 2 is also not acceptable for them. September 4 is "padyami".

"All our candidates will file nominations on September 5. We told the officials concerned. They said they will open additional counters to avoid any problems," Mr. Rao says. Even from the Congress, only four to five candidates filed their nominations on Thursday.

Candidates of all the main political parties are ensuring that they do not file their nominations on the New Moon day to avoid starting off on a negative note. In all the five municipalities put together, only 21 candidates from all parties filed their nominations on the first day. The break-up of the number of nominations is 7 in Machilipatnam, 5 in Gudivada, 4 in Jaggayyapet, 4 in Pedana and 1 in Pedana.

In Gudivada municipality, Potluri Krishna Rao was the sole TDP candidate to file nomination for the 3rd ward.

Gudivada town TDP president Yelavarthy Srinivasa Rao says once the party clears his name, he will file his nomination on September 4. Chennupati Gandhi, whose is a probable candidate to contest from 11th division in VMC on TDP ticket, says that once the party clears his name, he will his nomination after Amavasya and most likely on September 4.TDP urban president Gadde Rammohan and Nandigama MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao say that they cannot ignore the sentiments of the party candidates about auspicious days.

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