The just-concluded municipal elections in Telangana saw political parties ignoring their traditional rivalries, with the sole aim of seizing power in civic bodies amid the suspended governance, people familiar with the matter said.
In various municipalities, rival parties, including the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), put aside ideological differences and forged unprecedented alliances to secure local body seats.
In a few municipalities, the BJP extended its support to the Congress, while in others it supported the BJP or even the BRS, an official from the State Election Commission said on condition of anonymity, after analyzing reports collected in different municipalities.
According to people familiar with the matter, in Amangal municipality in Rangareddy district, the BJP supported the Congress in taking over the municipality. In this 15-member municipality, the BRS got eight seats, while the BJP got six and the Congress got one.
The BRS, which had a sufficient majority to seize the mayor’s office, moved its council members to the camp and announced Babishetti Ramu for the position of president. However, one of the BRS councillors, Ninavat Pattanayak, switched to the Congress and was nominated as its candidate.
As per the previously agreed understanding between the Congress and the BJP, the post of Vice President has been allotted to the BJP. As a result, Patyanayak was elected Congress president, while BJP’s Talogu Geetha became vice-president.
Similar arrangements were seen in other municipalities. In Aliabad municipality in Madchal-Malkagiri district, the Congress and BJP reached an agreement to share posts. Kamtam Congress candidate Sirisha Krishna Reddy became president, while BJP’s Kanreddy Malati was elected vice-president.
In Narsapur municipality in Medak district, the post of chief, which was contested between the Congress and the BRS, eventually went to the Congress with the support of the BJP. Congress got the president’s post while BJP was allotted the vice-president’s post.
In Mutpally municipality in Jagittal district, the Congress party captured the chairperson’s post with the support of a BJP councillor. The municipality has 26 seats – 10 BJP, 6 BJP, 6 Congress and four independent seats – leaving no party with the required majority of 14 seats. Congress Party candidate Mailarapu Limbadri won the votes of six Congress members, four independents and one BJP member.
On the contrary, in Yelampet municipality in Madchal-Malkagiri district, the BRS and the BJP shared power to keep the Congress at bay. BRS candidate Lavodiya Sridevi became president and BJP vice president Mikala Rajitha.
Likewise, in Jenaram in Medak district, which lacks outright majority support, the BRS has forged an alliance with the BJP. The BRS got the president’s post, while the BJP got the vice-president’s post.
In Isnapur municipality in Sangareddy district, political maneuvering continued until the last minute. Out of 26 constituencies, BRS won 12 seats, Congress 10 seats and Independents four seats. One BRS councilor and three independents joined the Congress camp, while the BRS managed to bring in a Congressman and an independent.
With the support of the ex-officio vote of BRS MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy and the support of Medak BJP MP Raghunandan Rao, the BRS secured control of the municipality. BRS councilor Mut Sumalatha became president, while Congress councilor Batula Madhavi was elected vice-president – another example of power-sharing between parties.
In Nizamabad Municipal Corporation, Congress received support from both AIMIM and BRS for the mayoral elections.
BRS supports Congress and BJP
In Kamareddy municipality, the Congress party seized power with the support of BRS councillors. With the support of 11 BRS councillors, Congress candidate Uma Rani was elected president in Kamareddy. In return, the Congress extended support to BRS candidate Kasarla Godavari, who was elected Vice President with the support of 22 Congress MLAs – a clear example of mutual power-sharing between rival parties.
In Raikkal municipality in undivided Karimnagar district, a BRS councilor was elected president with the support of the Congress. Of the 12 seats, BJP won five, Congress won three, BRS three, and one independent seat was elected. With no party reaching the majority mark of seven, the Congress extended its support to BRS councilor Katkam Ravi, enabling him to be elected president.
In Asifabad municipality in Kumram Fahim Asifabad district, the BRS movement secured the chairperson’s post with the unexpected support of a Congress member. During the election for President, a Congress MLA voted for the BRS-backed candidate, helping the party secure the position with the additional support of the local MLA’s ex-officio vote.
In Bellampalli municipality, the Congress party managed to secure the posts of president and vice president by mustering support from independents and a BJP councillor.
According to political analyst Srinivasa Rao Manchala, at the local government level, what matters most is power, not party affiliation. “Since the issuance of party whip and anti-defection law does not apply to local bodies, parties are ignoring their ideologies and joining hands with rivals to seize power,” he said.
