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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) captured power in Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, while the ruling Congress party bagged the seat of Mayor in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation with the support of AIMIM on Monday, February 16.
Kolagani Srinivas was elected as the first BJP Mayor of Karimnagar in a keen contest.
The BJP, which had emerged as the single largest party with 30 seats in the 66-member Karimnagar municipal body, crossed the halfway mark with 34 votes with the support of Independent corporators.
Y Sunil Rao, also of the BJP, was elected as Deputy Mayor.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who was also an ex-officio member, played a key role in mustering the required support for the party to bag the post of mayor.
The Congress party, which had only 14 members, could get the support of seven other corporators, including three of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which had secured nine seats, abstained from voting.
In a dramatic twist ahead of the election, five Independent corporators joined the Congress party on Sunday, February 15.
The ruling party had also shifted its corporators and the Independents, who joined it, to Hyderabad as part of the strategy to deny the Mayor’s seat to the BJP.
Though the BJP also emerged as the single largest party in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation by winning 28 of the total 60 divisions, the party failed to cross the halfway mark.
The Congress party, which won 17 divisions, bagged the Mayor’s post with the support of AIMIM, which had secured 14 divisions. The lone corporator of BRS also backed the Congress party.
Uma Rani of Congress was elected as Mayor, while Salma Tahseen of AIMIM was elected as Deputy Mayor.
With this, Congress has taken control of five of the seven municipal corporations, elections for which were held on February 11, along with 116 municipalities across the state.
Elated over the BJP’s victory in Karimnagar, Bandi Sanjay termed it a historic moment. “Today is not just a political victory. It is an emotional moment. It feels like a dream that many of us carried quietly for years. From being a corporator, walking ward to ward, to standing here and watching a BJP Mayor take oath as the saffron flag flies over Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, this is personal,” he said.