ANANTAPUR: Ending the four-day drama, former MLA JC Prabhakar Reddy was elected as the chairperson of the Tadipatri municipality in Anantapur district. Of the 74 municipalities that went for polls, the TDP won only Tadipatri. The TDP lost the Mydukur municipality in Kadapa district though it had won more seats than the ruling YSRC.
Prabhakar Reddy, who had shifted his party councillors to a camp to ensure that they are not poached, after his victory said, “Hats off to (Chief Minister) Jagan Mohan Reddy. He would have wrested the seat, if he wanted, but he did not.’’ The election was a smooth affair as you have seen, he told reporters. Earlier, on the day of counting of votes, Prabhakar Reddy said the TDP councillors won due to the slogan of ‘Save Tadipatri’ and not because of the TDP. In Tadipatri, of the 36 councillor seats, the TDP won 18, YSRC 16 and CPI and an Independent, one each. With the YSRC having two ex-officio votes (local MLA and MP), the focus was on the stand of CPI and Independent councillors.
Prabhakar Reddy had shifted all the party councillors and the CPI and Independent candidate to a camp to prevent poaching by the ruling party and similarly the YSRC also ran a camp for its leaders. For four days, both the sides managed to keep their flock together.
On Thursday, amid high tension and heavy police bandobast, the councillors reached the municipal office for electing the chairperson and deputy. The YSRC fielded Fayaz Basha as its chairperson candidate and TDP chose Prabhakar Reddy. In the voting, Prabhakar Reddy got 20 votes and the YSRC 18. Similarly, the deputy chairperson post was won by TDP’s P Saraswati.In Mydukur, of the 24 wards, the TDP won 12, YSRC 11 and Jana Sena Party one. With the YSRC having two ex-officio votes, the lone JSP candidate became the focal point.
However, one of the ward members went “missing” before the TDP shifted its winning candidates to a camp. Though the TDP alleged that the YSRC leaders took away their member, the ward member Mahboob Bee’s family did not even lodge a police complaint. The YSRC shifted its members to Idupulapaya. On Thursday, Mahboob Bee and the JSP candidate abstained from the swearing-in ceremony, paving way for the YSRC to win the municipality. YSRC’s M Chandra was elected as the chairperson.