TRS party wins top posts in all 10 municipal corporations

The TRS stamped its authority on urban local bodies (ULBs) in the State, sweeping the elections for Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts in all 10 municipal corporations besides bagging the posts of Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons in a whopping 110 of the 120 municipalities on Monday.

The ruling party, in the process, restricted the opposition Congress and BJP to an abysmal single digit, with the two parties barely managing to win chairpersons and deputy chairpersons posts in just four and two municipalities each.

The TRS won the posts of Mayors and Deputy Mayors (except in Nizamabad) in Ramagundam, Badangpet, Meerpet, Bandlaguda Jagir, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, Jawaharnagar, Nizampet and Nizamabad Municipal Corporations. 

In Nizamabad, the AIMIM candidate was elected Deputy Mayor with the BJP preferring to sit in the opposition. The TRS is also poised to win the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts in Karimnagar Municipal Corporation where it won 34 of the 60 divisions. Except in Rangareddy, Nalgonda, Gadwal, Narayanpet and Adilabad districts, the TRS registered a clean sweep in all municipal bodies, setting a record of sorts.

The ruling party had a clear majority in 90 civic bodies, including six municipal corporations. However, the party leadership made quick moves after several independent candidates approached it to extend their support in municipalities where the party was falling short of votes to win the posts of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson. The party leaders also used the votes of ex-officio members like MPs, MLAs and MLCs who gave their options for representation in respective municipal bodies allocated to them by the party leadership. 

Thus, the party reigned supreme in 110 civic bodies, with support from majority of about 280 independents and also AIMIM. Congress won the municipalities of Waddepally (Jogulamba Gadwal), Manikonda (Rangareddy), Turkayamjal



(Rangareddy) and Chandur (Nalgonda), while BJP managed to win two municipalities, Makthal (Narayanpet) and Amangal (Rangareddy). The parties managed to stave off the TRS in these municipalities by coming together to defeat the ruling party. While BJP councillors supported the Congress candidate for the posts of chairperson in Manikonda municipality, the latter helped BJP win the chairperson’s post in Turkayamjal.

The AIMIM secured the posts of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson in Bhainsa municipality in Nirmal district and Jalpally in Rangareddy district. 

The party also secured the Deputy Mayor’s post in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation after extending support to TRS candidature for the Mayor’s post.

High drama was witnessed in several municipalities and municipal corporations where there was a marginal difference between the winners and the runners. With the ruling TRS which has formidable strength in terms of its ex-officio members including MPs, MLAs and MLCs taking advantage of these votes to win the top posts, the Opposition parties cried foul. In some civic bodies, the Opposition parties made all attempts to obstruct the proceedings of electing a TRS candidate as Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson.

The Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) postponed the indirect election to the posts of the Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons in the municipalities of Medchal and Nereducherla to Tuesday. In Medchal municipality, TRS has a clear majority having won 14 of the 23 wards. The election, however, was postponed due to lack of quorum after two candidates from TRS competed for the Chairperson’s post. Similarly, the indirect election in Nereducherla municipality was postponed following confusion over allowing Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachander Rao to exercise his vote as ex-officio member on behalf of Congress.