Date:11/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/11/stories/2007121155460800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Lakshmi is chairperson of Palasa civic body

Special Correspondent

Srikakulam: Kotni Lakshmi, wife of former vice-chairman, Durga Prasad and sixth ward councillor, is the new chairperson of Palasa-Kasibugga municipality for which election was held in the municipality conference hall in Palasa on Monday. Nagarani Patro,councillor of 19th ward is the vice-chairperson. This means the choice of local MLA (Tekkali), Hanumathu Appayya Dora has prevailed.

Pressure from the local Vysya community was also responsible for this decision. Ms.Lakshmi belongs to this community. All the councillors who had gone to Hyderabad came in a bus around 10 am and proceeded to the house of Mr.Appayya Dora where they held discussions with senior leaders who included party observer Gopal and ZP chairperson Palavalasa Rajasekhar.

Then they proceeded to the council hall by around noon. The candidature of Ms.Lakhsmi was proposed by councillor Madhava Rao. When asked whether Ms.Vajje Bhavani was supporting the candidature of Mr.Lakshmi, Ms.Bhavani said ‘I am myself a candidate and sat down’ . Then councillors were asked to raise hands in support of their candidate. There were 14 candidates who included MLA Appayya Dora who raised hands. TDP councillors, seven in number, did not participate in the election. They just stood in the hall through the proceedings.

It may be recalled that the total strength of the council was 25 and Congress had won 14 seats.

However, Vajja Bhavani and another councillor did not support the official Congress candidate. MLAs, Dora and Guthu Shym Sundar Sivaji (TDP) were members of the council by virtue of being legislators and the effective strength of the council was 27.

Twelve councillors of the Congress, local MLA Dora and an independent supported the candidature of Bhavani.