ADILABAD/HYDERABAD: The thrice-postponed election to the Khanapur municipal chairperson and vice-chairman posts concluded peacefully with the BJP and BRS candidates emerging victors on Sunday. While BJP candidate Ankam Mounica bagged the chairperson post, Md Sohaib Hussain secured the vice-chairman post.
It may be mentioned here that the election was originally scheduled for February 16. It was deferred to February 17 and later moved to April 4.
As it was postponed again, both BJP and BRS activists staged a protest on Saturday, leading to mild tension in front of the municipal office.
The BJP and BRS leaders alleged that despite having a clear majority, the election was deferred, claiming that they had reached an agreement on the election of chairman and vice-chairman.
However, Khanapur Congress MLA Vedma Bhojju Patel, who is also an ex-officio member, demanded that the ruling Congress be allowed to prove its majority.
On Sunday, however, Mounica and Sohaib Hussain secured the required votes to emerge chairman and vice-chairman respectively.
MLA Bhojju Patel alleged that the “unethical” alliance between the BJP and BRS led to the Congress candidates’ defeat in the election.
Ramchander lauds efforts of Alleti, others
Meanwhile, state BJP president N Ramchander Rao congratulated Mounica and said that the BJP secured the seat despite the “misuse of power and undemocratic practices” of the ruling Congress.
He also lauded the efforts of Nirmal MLA and party floor leader in the Assembly Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, district president Ritesh Rathore and cadre in ensuring the BJP candidate’s victory.
BJP spokesperson NV Subhash described the victory as an “apt response to the clandestine alliance between the Congress and AIMIM”.