PARVATHIPURAM-MANYAM: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is poised to take control of Parvathipuram Municipalityas several YSRCP councillors have defected to the party.
With TDP-led councillors preparing to move a no-confidence motion against chairperson Bonu Gowriswari, political tensions in Parvathipuram have escalated ahead of summer.
In the 2021 urban local body elections, YSRCP won 22 of the 30 wards in Parvathipuram Municipality. The then-opposition TDP secured five wards, while independent candidates won two, and the BJP claimed one.
With a clear majority, YSRCP appointed Gowriswari, whose seat is reserved for Backward Class women, as chairperson. Kondapalli Rukhmini and Intipuri Gunesh were named vice-chairpersons.
However, ahead of the 2024 general elections, 26th ward councillor Belagam Karuna, along with two independents, switched allegiance to TDP. Following YSRCP’s poll debacle, another seven councillors joined TDP in the presence of Parvathipuram MLA Bonela Vijaya Chandra.
This shift reduced YSRCP’s strength to 15, while the TDP-led NDA alliance now holds 16, including the ex-officio vote of local MLA Vijaya Chandra. With this numerical advantage, TDP councillors are preparing to move a no-confidence motion against Gowriswari. If successful, the party will nominate a new chairperson after the ongoing Assembly session.
A senior YSRCP leader from Parvathipuram Municipality told TNIE, “It is common for politicians to switch parties for power. Leaders often cite development as a reason for their defection, but if they fail to deliver, the people of Parvathipuram will suffer.”