The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) won the hotly-contested, and hung Nereducherla Municipality by one vote, after it sprang a surprise by producing a new ex-officio member at the last minute, on Tuesday.
MLC Seri Subhash Reddy, the surprise addition, arrived along with MLA Shanampudi Saidi Reddy, MP Badugula Lingaiah Yadav and MLC B. Venkateswarlu as TRS’ ex-officio members, taking its vote count to 11, including the seven councillors. The Congress’ strength remained 10 with eight councillors, including one belonging to CPI (M), and MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and MP K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao as the ex-officio members.
Apart from transfering District Collector D. Amoy Kumar on Monday night, Nereducherla Municipal Commissioner P. Mahender Reddy was also placed under suspension, and in-charge Tahsildar Ram Reddy was appointed in the position.
Heavy police cordon
By 10 a.m. Nereducherla town resembled a garrison with some 500 police personnel and special parties marching and cordoning off the Municipal Office. All shops and institutions were also shut following imposition of Section 144.
Till morning the result was expected to be by drawing of lots as both sides were tied 10-10. However, the new list suspended all possibilities, and the victory was on the TRS side even before the election. The TRS batch of leaders were the first to occupy their seats followed by the Congress. Soon, the ‘Congress 10’ exited the office expressing no interest to participate in the election. TRS leaders, who in all were 11 in number, voted Chandamalla Jayababu of Ward 7 as Chairman and Challa Srilatha of Ward 13 as Vice-Chairperson.
Congress protest
The aggrieved Congress leaders staged a sit-in on the road, alleging the election illegal and the election machinery was hand in glove with the TRS. “How can the voter list be changed after the election process began with the councillors completing their oath on Monday? It was the TRS members who created a ruckus, called for quorum, and they came with a new list today,” Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
He also said that the SEC had assured Congress that the list finalized by it on January 25, which allows Mr. Ramachandra Rao as an ex-officio, would be the final one, and alleged that TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao had influenced the SEC.
Political ping pong
TRS leaders, speaking to media after the election, said nothing could be done about the charges levelled by the Congress and that they were free to go to court. “Like they brought KVP from Andhra into the list after the councillors’ oath, we brought Subhash Reddy today. This is politics and elections. Uttam is just acting out of frustration,” TRS Member of Parliament Yadav and MLC Venkateswarlu said.
The Congress leaders, who were protesting on the road, were taken away by the police.
With Nereducherla, the last of the victories on Tuesday, TRS has now captured 17 of the total 18 municipalities in undivided Nalgonda, and Congress left with the lone Chandur Municipality.
