Date:06/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/06/stories/2007020616870100.htm

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Botcha loyalist ZP chief, vice-chief quits

Correspondent

Congress ZPTC member from Denkada Badukonda Appala Naidu elected new Chairman

VIZIANAGARAM: Ending weeks of suspense and political drama, Marketing Minister Botcha Satyanarayana finally had his say in the district politics as he succeeded in getting his loyalist elected Zilla Parishad Chairman.

The ZP meeting held here on Monday, the third after the earlier two were postponed following boycotts by the two Congress groups led by Mr. Satyanarayana and his Cabinet colleague S. Vijayarama Raju, elected Badukonda Appala Naidu, Congress ZPTC member from Denkada as ZP Chairman.

The differences within the Congress rank and file came to the fore when Mr. Satyanarayana forwarded the candidature of his brother which was opposed by Mr. Vijayarama Raju and his supporters. The matter, however, seemed to have been resolved on Monday but the ZP Vice-Chairman Gulipalli Sudershana Rao tendered his papers in protest against the "injustice" meted out to another dominant community Velamas.

The resignation letter was, however, termed "invalid" as it was not addressed to the election officer and district Collector.

Mr. Rao told reporters later that he would also consider quitting from his ZPTC post after consulting his friends and closer aides and the party high command.

Earlier, 23 out of the 34 Congress ZPTCs supported the candidature of Mr. Naidu while all the 10 TDP ZPTC members raised their hands in support of TDP district ad-hoc convenor and Vizianagaram ZPTC member Yadla Ramana Murthy who jumped into the fray.

Collector B. Kishore administered the oath to K. Vijayalakshmi (independent), who was elected from Gurla -- the seat that fell vacant following the resignation of Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi who was elected to the Lok Sabha.