Parishad polls stepping stones to political future in Karimnagar

Karimnagar: The Karimnagar Zilla Parishad has a great history of producing several leaders, whose political career started with ZPTC and MPTC elections, reached greater heights and proved their mark in political arena.

After becoming ZPTC and MPTC members, many leaders became mandal parishad presidents (MPPs) and zilla parishad chairmen and even became chairpersons of Karimnagar zilla parishad and emerged as victorious in assembly elections to become MLAs.

CPI State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, Korutla MLA K Vidyasagar Rao, State Finance Corporation chairman G Rajesham Goud, Peddapalli former MLA Putta Madhu, Industries Development Corporation chairman Eda Shankar Reddy are among the many leaders, who have started political career as MPPs and ZPTCs

May be after observing these leaders' rise in political stature, all the leaders are trying hard to get B-forms from their respective political parties to prove their luck in politics by contesting in the upcoming local body elections in the undivided Karimnagar district, to be held in three phases.

Based on the recommendations of Balwant Rai Mehta Committee, the then Chief Minister Neelam Sanjeev Reddy had introduced three-phase Panchayat Raj system in 1953 in the united Andhra Pradesh. He established gram panchayats at village; panchayat samiti at samiti-level; and zilla parishads at mandal level.

Village sarpanches and samiti members will elect samiti presidents (MPPs) and ZPTC members and MLAs and MPs will elect ZP chairperson.

Juvvadi Chokka Rao was the first chairman of Karimnagar Zilla Parishad. Later, he won three times as MLA and became a Minister also. Then he also became MP for three times.

Kethiri Saireddy was first elected as Huzurabad samiti president in 1983 and became Karimnagar ZP chairman in 1986. In 1989, he contested in Assembly elections as independent candidate and emerged victorious.

Suddala Devaiah, who started his political career as ZPTC, has been elected as chairperson in the direct elections conducted in 1987 for Karimnagar Zilla Parishad. Later, he became MLA two times contesting from Nerella and Choppadandi Assembly constituencies and has been minister in Nara Chandrababu Naidu's cabinet.

State Finance Corporation chairman Eda Shankar Reddy worked as Karimnagar Zilla Parishad chairman from 1995 to 2000. CPI State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy started his political journey from Chigurumamidi mandal and was elected as MPP in 2004 and later became MLA from Indurthi Assembly constituency.

Arepally Mohan was first a ZPTC member, then became Karimnagar ZP chairperson in 2006 and later got elected as MLA from Manakondur Assembly segment in 2009. He worked as Government Chip Whip also. Bodiga Shoba also started as ZPTC from Shankarapatnam mandal in 2001 and later became MLA in 2014.

Gujjala Rama Krishna Reddy, Kasipeta Lingaiah, Chinta Vijayaramana Rao, Putta Madhu and K Vidyasagar Rao started their political careers as ZPTCs and later became MLAs.

Tula Uma is the first woman chairperson of Karimnagar Zilla Parishad in 2014. She was elected as ZPTC from Kathalapur mandal. She also worked as TRS State women wing president and is also going to become the last women chairperson for Karimnagar ZP as the Karimnagar district was bifurcated into four districts - Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Rajanna Sircilla and Jagtial districts.

The people of Karimnagar district are well aware of politics and have sound knowledge about various political parties and leaders. Their decision is crucial and is going to decide the future of various political parties and leaders, contesting in the parishad elections scheduled to be held in three phases from May 6.