Local body polls: Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu insists on alliance dharma, warns rebels of suspension

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has made it clear that the alliance partners must adhere to coalition dharma, leaving no room for second thoughts. He also urged voters to choose the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over individual candidates in the fray for the local body elections in the State.

The issue of rebel candidates figured prominently at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Mr. Naidu on Thursday, with the Chief Minister holding an extensive discussion on the need to ensure the victory of NDA nominees in the polls.

Mr. Naidu said that he, Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party president K. Pawan Kalyan, and BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav had jointly worked out the seat-sharing arrangements. The three leaders appealed to the voters to ensure NDA candidates’ victory.

The Chief Minister said the government had received a positive response from the people on the development and welfare measures implemented over the past two-and-a-half years.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan said the leaders of the three alliance partners had sent a strong message by sitting together and finalising the arrangements. The response from the public and party cadre had been encouraging, he said, adding that minor issues within the Jana Sena Party and the BJP were also being resolved.

Mr. Naidu directed that rebel candidates contesting against the NDA nominees should be suspended from their respective parties immediately. Such candidates should be treated as having been suspended from the respective parties, he said.

Mr. Naidu also asked the Ministers to focus not only on their respective constituencies but also on the districts for which they had been appointed in-charge Ministers. Making it clear that the responsibility for the victory of alliance candidates rested with them, he directed the Ministers to resolve any disputes arising during the elections without delay.

Mr. Naidu said elections to urban local bodies, Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) would be followed by gram panchayat elections. The elections to cooperative societies would be held subsequently, he added.

Once the electoral process was completed, the government and the Ministers could turn their full attention to administration, he said. However, he cautioned that any disputes during the elections must be settled promptly and warned that no one would be spared thereafter.