Polls for chairperson and vice-chairperson posts were deferred again in three municipalities — Ibrahimpatnam, Kyatanpally and Khanapur — amidst significant tension and procedural drama. Hyderabad: The ruling Congress won chairperson posts in seven of the eight municipalities where elections were held on Tuesday, while BRS added Indresham in Sangareddy district to its tally.
To date, elections for chairperson and vice-chairperson positions have been completed in 113 municipalities. Congress leads the tally with 88 wins, followed by the BRS with 19, independents with four, and the BJP and All India Forward Bloc with one each. In Ibrahimpatnam, BRS had won 13 divisions, while Congress secured eight, and independent one.
In Jangaon and Thorur, where both Congress and BRS candidates were locked in a stalemate with an equal number of votes, the Congress emerged victorious in both instances through a draw of lots. Local MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy registered himself as an ex officio member in the municipality.
In Jangaon, of the total 30 wards, BRS won 13. With two independents and one ex officio member, Palla Rajeshwara Reddy, BRS had 16 votes. Congress won 12 wards and got support from two independents, along with a vote from CPM and ex officio member Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, taking the total to 16 votes. In Thorur, of the 16 wards, BRS had won nine wards and Congress seven.
Congress won Zaheerabad, Dornakal, Sultanabad, Kagaznagar and Yellandu municipalities, while the Khanapur municipal chairperson election was deferred due to a lack of quorum as there was no consensus on the chairperson candidate. In Kyathanpally, both BRS and CPI leaders and councillors demanded that the election should be conducted without any delay, as they decided to share power. BRS alleged that Congress workers hurled stones at Chennur former MLA Balka Suman. Suman got into a heated argument with police when they prevented him from entering the municipal office. The chairperson was then elected by a draw of lots, and Congress candidate Balamani became chairperson. With two ex officio members belonging to Congress — Palakurthy MLA Yashswisini Reddy and Warangal MP Kadiyam Kavya — the total reached nine. As both parties secured nine votes each, the election of the chairperson was conducted through a lottery, which went in favour of Congress and its candidate Sravan was declared chairperson. In Indresham, the election was conducted smoothly, and BRS secured the chairperson post.