HYDERABAD: The ruling Congress leadership expressed confidence in forming governing bodies in more than 90 of the 116 municipalities, even as around 37 civic bodies have delivered a hung mandate.
This confidence was conveyed to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy during an internal review meeting attended by Cabinet ministers, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, and several senior party leaders. It is learnt that the party also reviewed the need for MLAs, MPs, and MLCs to exercise their voting rights as ex-officio members of urban local bodies.
Elections to 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations were held on February 11, while elections for chairpersons and mayors are scheduled for February 16.
During the meeting, several Independent candidates elected from different segments paid a courtesy call on the chief minister, boosting the party’s prospects in municipalities where it fell short of a clear majority.
Revanth is learnt to have directed Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy to hold talks with the CPI to reach an understanding on the election of the Kothagudem Municipal Corporation mayor. In Kothagudem, the CPI has won 25 divisions, while the Congress has secured 21 seats.
Sources said the chief minister directed ministers and the TPCC chief to closely coordinate during the election of chairpersons and mayors, advising them to ensure that winning councillors and corporators are brought directly to the respective municipal bodies at the time of the election process.
He also instructed them to seek the support of Independents and others willing to back the Congress to secure chairperson and mayoral posts.
Congratulating the ministers on the success, Revanth observed that the positive results reflected teamwork and collective effort. He also appreciated party activists for their tireless work in securing the party’s victory.
He asserted that the “people’s government” had accomplished in two years what the previous government could not achieve in 10 years.
Emphasising the need to sustain that trust, he called upon leaders to continue working with the same spirit in future elections.