The ex-officio member votes of as many as four MLCs and one MLA (the highest), combined with ‘strategic silence’ of six BJP members at voting, resulted in the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi clinch the crucial Nalgonda municipality on Monday.
Nalgonda legislator K. Bhupal Reddy, MLCs including Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Nethi Vidyasagar and Tera Chinnappa Reddy, with support of an independent candidate and an AIMIM-elected corporator, catapulted TRS numbers from 20 to 27.
E-communication
Interestingly, an official online communication from BJP Nalgonda earlier in the day, that its chairman candidate Bandaru Prasad would take oath as vice-chairman became talk of the town. However, when all the TRS and its alliance members left the office post-chairman election, the vice-chairman voting only ended in “postponed for want of quorum of 27 members.”
High tension prevailed in Choutuppal, when Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy got into a heated exchange with the three CPI(M) members, who till Monday were supporting the Congress and turned in favour of TRS before voting.
Mr. Rajagopal Reddy’s comments on ex-officio members, TRS attempts to clinch Yadagirigutta, among others, also sparked outrage. Mr. Reddy was detained by the police for a brief time, which in turn caused Congress activists to sit in protest on the NH-65 near Choutuppal.
Ex-officio members were crucial in tilting the victory for TRS in Bhuvanagiri, Yadagirigutta, Chityal and Halia, where the local legislators exercised their votes. Voting in Nereducherla municipality was postponed to Tuesday following intervention of the State Election Commission regarding the option of Congress MP K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao.
Suryapet municipality, where TRS emerged as the single largest party winning 24 of 48 wards was an easy victory with Energy Minister and Suryapet MLA G. Jagadish Reddy’s vote.
In municipalities of Mothkur, Pochampally, Huzurnagar, Kodad, Devarakonda and Miryalaguda, councillors took oath of office and later participated in the election of chairperson and vice-chairperson respectively.
