BJP hopes to win chairperson poll in Armoor municipality

Nizamabad: The BJP is hoping to win the Armoor municipal chairperson election after the defeat of Pandith Vinitha Pavan in a no-confidence motion on Thursday.

BRS municipal vice-chairman Sheik Munnu was named the in-charge chairman till the election is held. The tenure of the council will end by January 2025.

BRS municipal councillors Khandesh Sangeetha, Vanneldevi Lavanya and Akula Sangeetha of the BJP are aspiring for the post. Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri and Armoor MLA Paidi Rakesh Reddy have taken up the issue in all seriousness.

Rakesh Reddy said the “first wicket” of BRS former legislator A. Jeevan Reddy, who lost the recent Assembly polls, and the “second wicket” of Vinitha had fallen because of corruption charges.

With both the BJP and BRS are trying to gain control over Armoor municipality, it is expected that money will play a key role in the election of the new chairperson.

In the changed political scenario, BRS municipal councillors might also rethink their political strategies — a majority of them had voted against their own party candidate on Thursday.

When elections were held to the 36-member council, the BRS won 23, the BJP six, the Congress and MIM one each and five independents were elected. After change of political equations, five independents, a BJP councillor and the lone Congress representative joined hands with BRS.

Vinitha was elected chairperson with the support of then BRS MLA A. Jeevan Reddy but they reportedly fell out and she worked against the then legislator during to polls, which apparently led to his defeat. This and the corruption charges against Vinitha’s husband Pandit Pavan and brother in-law Pandit Prem ultimately led to the no-trust move.

Armoor revenue divisional officer Vinod Kumar submitted a report to district collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu after the no-confidence motion was passed.

The collector will submit the report to the commissioner and director of municipal administration (CDMA) for appointment of an in-charge municipal chairperson as well as for issue of a notification for election of the chairperson on a regular basis.