TRS sweeps civic body chief polls: Wins 109 out of 120 municipal chief positions

Hyderabad: The ruling TRS on Monday completed its rout of the civic bodies polls, sweeping 112 municipalities out of 120 and all the 10 corporations. The Congress won four municipalities, the BJP and the MIM two each.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has postponed the election of chairperson and vice chairperson in Medchal municipality due to lack of quorum and in Nereducharla because of a controversy raised over the voting by Congress Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao as an ex-officio member. These elections will be held on January 28.

The TRS had absolute majority to form councils in 82 municipalities and five municipal corporations, the Congress in eight municipalities and the BJP in three. The ruling party grabbed two from the Congress and one from the BJP using its ex-officio votes — those of MPs, MLAs and MLCs.

In the other 31 bodies including the Nizamabad, Boduppal, Ramagundam, Meerpet and Badangpet municipal corporations, the TRS won with the support of rebels, independents and the MIM.

In Thukkuguda, the BJP had won nine wards out of 15 and the TRS five. The ruling party then used the ex-officio votes of minister Sabita Indra Reddy, Rajya Sabha member Dr K. Kesava Rao and MLCs Nayani Narasimha Reddy, E. Mallesham and K. Janardhan Reddy.

The BJP lodged a strong objection with the SEC for allowing Dr Kesava Rao, to vote as he represents AP in the Rajya Sabha.

KTR claims TRS has wide voterbase
In the 15 wards of Adibatla, the Congress won eight, the TRS six and the BJP one. The TRS used the ex-officio votes of MLC Srinivas Reddy Rajya Sabha member Banda Prakash and local MLA M. Kishan Reddy to win the council.

In Nalgonda, the Congress and the TRS were even at 20 wards each out 48 but the TRS took over the municipality with votes of MLCs Gutha Sukhender Reddy, T. Chinappa Reddy, N. Vidya Sagar and Palla Rajeswara Reddy.

In Kosgi, the Congress and TRS won seven each out of the 16 wards but the TRS took the help of two independents and ex-officio votes of Mahbubnagar MP M. Srinivas Reddy, MLA P. Narender Reddy and MLC K. Narayan Reddy to sail home.

In Nereducharla, there was high drama as the collector refused to permit Congress Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao to vote as an ex-officio member. The Congress approached the State Election Commission (SEC) challenging the order.

The SEC set aside the order of the collector and permitted Dr Ramachandra Rao to vote in the council election on Tuesday in view of the bulletin released by Parliament earlier recognising Dr Ramachandra Rao as Rajya Sabha member from Telangana state.

After the results, TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao told reporters that a lion share of seats had been given to leaders from the BC, SC, ST, and minority communities which did not have strong political representation until now.

He claimed that no other party can deliver social justice the way the TRS does. As per the directions of TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, utmost importance was given to the marginalised sections in the election of municipal chairpersons and mayors. “By this, we have shown our commitment towards the welfare of BC, SC, ST, and minorities,” Mr Rama Rao said.

He noted that leaders from these sections had won general category seats and added that 58 chairpersons and mayor and 45 vice-chairpersons from the TRS, totalling 103, had been elected.

While Suryapet was reserved for general women, Ms Annapurnamma from the Scheduled Caste community had been elevated as chairperson.

In the Medchal district, the chairperson's post in the general category at Pocharam municipality was given to Mr Redya Nayak, an ST leader. In Kagaznagar of Adilabad district, a Muslim leader had been elected in the general category municipality.