Eye on LS polls, KTR offers Rs 15 lakh more to villages electing sarpanch unanimously
TNN | Jan 4, 2019, 08:12 IST
TRS working president KT Rama Rao. (Photo: Twitter)HYDERABAD: To avoid friendly contests between party workers during the upcoming gram panchayat polls in the state, TRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Thursday offered 15 lakh to villages electing their sarpanches unanimously.
During his tour of Sircilla assembly constituency on Thursday, Rama Rao announced 15 lakh to villages, under the Constituency Development Fund of the MLA, if they elect sarpanches without any contest. The amount will be in addition to the 10 lakh the state government gives to villages which elect their sarpanches unanimously. An MLA gets 3 cr per year as constituency development fund.
“In all, you will have access to 25 lakh for village development if the election is unanimous,” KTR said. There are 117 gram panchayats in Sircilla, which he represents in the Telangana assembly.
The former minister has been calling for unanimous elections wherever possible in the state. He hinted the same offer could be replicated across the state.
For KTR, the panchayat elections, held on non-party basis, have become somewhat of a challenge with many aspirants eyeing the sarpanch post. “There are many aspirants from the same village for sarpanch posts in our party. I cannot be seen as being in favour of one person and against another. You have to decide among yourself. If there is no show of unity in the party, someone else may take advantage and get elected,” he cautioned. He also promised those giving up their claim for the posts would be suitably rewarded.
KTR has the challenge of getting the party to win 16 Lok Sabha seats in the elections to be held later this year. The panchayat polls, especially unanimous elections, would send a signal to the party high command about the unity within the party, which can be leveraged at the time of LS elections.
During his tour of Sircilla assembly constituency on Thursday, Rama Rao announced 15 lakh to villages, under the Constituency Development Fund of the MLA, if they elect sarpanches without any contest. The amount will be in addition to the 10 lakh the state government gives to villages which elect their sarpanches unanimously. An MLA gets 3 cr per year as constituency development fund.
“In all, you will have access to 25 lakh for village development if the election is unanimous,” KTR said. There are 117 gram panchayats in Sircilla, which he represents in the Telangana assembly.
The former minister has been calling for unanimous elections wherever possible in the state. He hinted the same offer could be replicated across the state.
For KTR, the panchayat elections, held on non-party basis, have become somewhat of a challenge with many aspirants eyeing the sarpanch post. “There are many aspirants from the same village for sarpanch posts in our party. I cannot be seen as being in favour of one person and against another. You have to decide among yourself. If there is no show of unity in the party, someone else may take advantage and get elected,” he cautioned. He also promised those giving up their claim for the posts would be suitably rewarded.
KTR has the challenge of getting the party to win 16 Lok Sabha seats in the elections to be held later this year. The panchayat polls, especially unanimous elections, would send a signal to the party high command about the unity within the party, which can be leveraged at the time of LS elections.
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