Hung mandates put focus on MLAs, MPs in Telangana municipal elections
HYDERABAD: In the run up to elections to head 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations on Monday, several MPs, MLAs and MLCs registered as ex-officio members to take part in the voting, amid fractured mandates in many civic bodies.
Polling will begin with the oath taking of elected members at 11.00 am, followed by elections to mayor and deputy mayor posts in municipal corporations, and chairperson and vice chairperson posts in municipalities at 12.30 pm.
In several hung houses, ex officio votes are expected to play a decisive role.
Nizamabad, Khanapur among key battlegrounds
Among those who registered in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation were former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind, BJP MLAs Dhanpal Suryanarayana Gupta (Nizamabad Urban) and Paidi Rakesh Reddy (Armoor). Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president and MLC B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, and Nizamabad Rural Congress MLA R. Bhupathi Reddy also enrolled as ex-officio members.
In Khanapur municipality (12 wards), Congress has three seats, BRS four, BJP four and one Independent. Congress MLA Vedma Bojju registered as an ex-officio member.
Bhainsa municipality (26 wards) has AIMIM with 12 seats, BJP six, Congress one and seven Independents. BJP MLA Ramarao Patel signed up as an ex-officio member.
In Asifabad (20 wards), Congress has seven seats, BRS nine and four Independents. BRS MLA Kova Laxmi registered to strengthen her party’s position.
Kagaznagar municipality (30 wards) has BRS with 19 seats, Congress 11, BJP five, AIMIM one and four Independents. MLA Palvai Harish Babu registered as a voter. MLC Dande Vittal also enrolled, while former MLA Koneru Konappa lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and the district collector, stating his name was not included in the municipal voters’ list.
Tight contests in Adilabad, Bellampalli
In Kyathanpalli municipality (22 wards), Congress has seven seats, BRS 10, CPI four and one Independent. Minister Gaddam Vivek and Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamsi registered here.
At the 49-ward Adilabad municipality, BJP has 21 seats, Congress 11, BRS six, AIMIM six and others. MLA Payal Shankar and MP Godam Nagesh registered. Reports said Nagesh sought to shift his vote from Adilabad to Bhainsa, pending approval from the State Election Commission.
In Bellampalli (34 wards), Congress and BRS have 14 seats each, BJP one and five Independents. Congress MLA Gaddam Vinod registered to back his party.
In Bodhan, Congress MLA P. Sudarshan Reddy enrolled. In Kamareddy, BJP MLA K. Venkata Ramana Reddy registered, while in Yellareddy and Bichkunda, Congress MLAs Madanmohan Rao and Laxmikanth Reddy enrolled respectively. In Banswada, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy did not register as an ex-officio member.
Former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao registered as an ex-officio member for Gajwel municipality in Medak district. MLC Yadava Reddy from the undivided Medak local bodies constituency also signed up.
Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha registered in Andole-Jogipet municipality of Sangareddy district, minister Ponnam Prabhakar in Husnabad of Siddipet district, and Congress MLA Sanjeeva Reddy in Narayankhed municipality.
In Medak municipality, which returned a hung verdict, Congress MLA Rohit Rao and BRS MLCs Venkatrami Reddy, Deshapati Srinivas and Suresh Reddy submitted applications.
In Isnapur municipality of Sangareddy district, which also witnessed a hung verdict, BJP MP M. Raghunandan Rao and local MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy registered.
In Dubbak, BRS leader Kotha Prabhakar Reddy registered as an ex-officio member, while in Narsapur, MLA Sunitha Reddy enrolled.
Also registering were Congress MLA Murali Nayak (Mahabubabad), BRS MLC Ravinder Rao Rajanarsimha, Congress MP Porika Balram Nayak (Mahabubabad), Thorrur MLA Yashaswini Reddy, Warangal Congress MP Kadiyam Kavya at Thorrur, BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy (Jangaon), Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Wardhannapet MLA K. R. Nagaraju.
Quorum, security measures in place
Quorum the presence of a minimum number of members is mandatory within an hour of commencement. If there is no quorum, the election will be held the next day.
If only one nomination is filed, there will be no election. If two or more candidates are in the fray, voting will be by show of hands.
Seating will be arranged party-wise. District collectors will deploy forces at the venues. No rallies or processions will be allowed near civic body offices, and police will act if people gather within 200 metres of the premises.
