Kurnool: After Telugu Desam members moved to unseat the Visakhapatnam Mayor, speculation is rife that local TD leaders might attempt a similar move against Kurnool City Mayor and YSRC leader B.Y. Ramaiah. While no official announcement has been made regarding a no-confidence motion, party leaders are reportedly considering escalating the matter to the high command.
Ramaiah, who contested as an MP candidate from the YSRC last year but faced defeat, had previously been targeted for removal. At that time, the TD leaders planned to move a no-confidence motion but abandoned the idea due to time constraints. Ramaiah was elected on March 18, 2021, and his four-year tenure officially ends in March 2025. Now, with the political landscape shifting, the TD leaders are reviving their efforts.
As part of their strategy last time, three ward councillors joined the TD immediately after the general election results in June while four had already left the YSRC before the polls.
Kurnool MLA and minister T.G. Bharath has actively invited YSRC corporators to switch allegiance, offering them key positions and priority in fund allocation for their divisions.
Kurnool city has 52 municipal divisions — 33 under Kurnool Assembly, 16 under Panyam and three under Kodumur. Of these, the YSRC initially held 44 wards while the TD had just eight. However, defections have changed the equation. Four corporators from wards 22, 17, 30 and 38 joined the TD before the elections, and three more from wards 3, 6 and 13 switched after the results. This has increased the TD-supported councillor count from 8 to 15. To pass a no-confidence motion, they need to reach the magic number of 26.
Political analysts believe that, given the strong Muslim support for the ruling TD, the Mayor’s post may be allocated to a Muslim candidate to consolidate the party’s hold on the vote bank.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor S. Renuka, also from the YSRC, could be replaced by a corporator from the 16 divisions under the Panyam Assembly constituency.
“The same criteria planned earlier may be considered this time too, as Muslims played a major role in helping the TD secure power in the 2024 elections. So, there wouldn’t be any change in allocating the Mayor’s post to a Muslim candidate, while the Deputy Mayor post may be assigned based on new priorities if the plan materialises,” said a ruling party leader.
He admitted that no such plans have been discussed among the leaders so far, stating that it is only a proposal being raised by party activists at this stage.
