Khammam: Punukollu Neeraja, corporator from 26th division, was elected unanimously as Mayor of Khammam Municipal Corporation on Friday. She was the choice of many TRS leaders including Sattupalli MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah.
Khammam got a woman mayor for the first time after the civic body was upgraded as corporation.
Neeraja and her husband Ramabrahmam hailed from Krishna district and settled down here 35 years ago.
Shaik Fathima Johara, corporator from 37th division was elected deputy mayor. The name of Maqbool, corporator from 23rd division, was heard till the last minute, but luck favoured Fathima.
Key TRS leaders like transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, MLC Balasani Laxminarayana and Sattupalli MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah were not present at the event due to various reasons. Ajay is in home isolation after he was tested Covid-positive.
Minister for roads and buildings Vemula Prasanth Reddy and TRS state general secretary Nukala Naresh Reddy, who stayed in a hotel, oversaw the mayor and deputy mayor election process.
They first talked to Neeraja and Fathima and later to other corporators. TRS corporators were told the two were selected by the party high command.
Later, TRS corporators and minister for roads and buildings Prasanth Reddy and Naresh Reddy reached the corporation office. Special officer and additional collector V Madhusudan conducted the ‘oath taking’ for the corporators. Election observer Nadeem Ahmad and municipal commissioner Anurag Jayanthi also attended the programme.
Mayor Neeraja said she has a desire to shape Khammam on par with Hyderabad with the help of all corporators. “I will try to make all the roads clean, in the minimum,” she promised.
