Bigwigs fight in land of Nurseries, Rs.80 lakh offered to Panchyat

Rs.80 lakh jackpot offer for development from candidates for sarpanch post

Auctioning the sarpanch post is a crime, according to State Election Commissioner’s ruling and also as per law. If two parties come to an “understanding” and are ready to spend some huge amount on development of the village, will it attract punishable sections under law?

This actually is happening in this lush, green garden village, which consists more than 3,000 acres of nurseries. As per the enumeration this time, the Kadiyam village sarpanch post is reserved for OC woman. After the poll bugle was blown for Panchayat elections, the heads of the village swung into action and decided to field their kith and kin .

Interestingly, all the three contenders are with good political background. They are former MP Girijala Venkataswami Naidu’s daughter-in-law Ms. Ramakrishna Tulasi, Tadepalligudem MLA Eli Nani’s mother-in-law Ms. V. Leelavathi, who is also mother of V.V. Satyaprasad, TDP Commerce wing State organising secretary, and former Minister Jakkampudi Rammohana Rao’s close associate Torati Satyanarayana’s brother’s wife Ms. Geetha Raghava Lakshmi.

Just before the date of nominations, emissaries from Ms. Leelavathi’s (Eli Nani’s group) sent a word to rival group belonging to Girijala Venkataswami Naidu that they will deposit Rs.40 lakh for the development of the village, if Naidu’s group withdrew from the fray. Otherwise, if Naidu’s group is ready to spend more than Rs.40 lakh, they would withdraw from the election.

The immediate response was interesting. Naidu’s group also conveyed a proposal to their rival group that they were ready to part with Rs.40 lakh and deposit a total of Rs.80 lakh (amount of two groups) in the bank, and whoever gets elected would spend the entire amount on the development of the Panchayat. Both the groups were said to have come to the understanding, but nothing on paper. They were yet to deposit the amount in the bank. “They are waiting for last date of nominations. Before the withdrawal we expect Rs.80 lakh to be deposited in the bank. It is going to help the Panchyat,” said P. Satyanaryana, a nursery owner.