BHUVANAGIRI: The election for the Chairperson post to Choutuppal municipality witnessed high drama on Monday when the ruling TRS captured the post - thanks to CPM backstabbing the Congress and support the TRS candidate, leaving the hapless Congress fuming.
Of the total 20 wards in the municipality, TRS won 8, Congress 5, and CPM and BJP won 3 each, while one ward was won by an independent candidate.
Congress had contested the polls in alliance with CPM and the independent candidate. The Left party had also promised Congress of its support to the latter’s candidate for Chairperson’s post. But on Monday, three CPM councillors supported the TRS in bagging the Chairperson’s post which irked Congress leaders.
A quarrel broke out between the leaders of Congress, TRS and CPM when Munugode MLA K Rajagopal Reddy tried to stop voting for the chairperson election. Soon, police rushed to the spot and whisked away Reddy from the meeting hall.
Addressing the media, the Congress MLA said his party had an alliance with the CPM and campaigned against the TRS to win the municipal elections in Choutuppal.
He alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, IT Minister KT Rama Rao and MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy were spending crores of rupees to ‘purchase’ leaders from other parties to bag various municipalities.
“We gave away some seats to them and even held door-to-door campaigns in support of the CPM. As the Congress and CPM won majority wards in Choutuppal, the Left party had agreed to support us in winning the chairman posts. But they were lured by the TRS with money,” he added.
Komatireddy stages rasta roko in Choutuppal
Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy staged a rasta roko in Choutuppal on Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway. He was shifted to police station for stalling vehicle movement on the highway. Meanwhile, some of the Congress activists attacked the houses of CPM leaders in Choutuppal