KARIMNAGAR: Amidst heightened political activity ahead of Monday’s mayoral election, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar’s latest statement on the strategy being adopted by the Congress has triggered major discussion in Karimnagar.
On Sunday, Prabhakar said the ruling party is “actively chalking out strategies to secure the magic figure of 35 corporators”.
“In the past, Congress bagged the mayor post with just 13 corporators,” he said, indicating that political management and post-poll alignments can change the outcome of any election.
“We are a political party and we will do whatever is required to win the Karimnagar mayor seat,” he asserted.
The BJP, which initially expressed confidence in winning the mayor post, is now reassessing strategy to get the required numbers. Two out of four Independent corporators who vowed to support the saffron party have joined the Congress “camp” in the state capital.
Soon after winning the 15th division, AIFB candidate Vipala Sai Jyothi joined the BJP in the presence of MoS for Home Affairs Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar. Since then she is believed to have moved to the Congress camp, sparking protests by the BJP workers in front of her residence.
Sai Jyothi, meanwhile, released a video stating she was out of station as her child’s suffering from illness and that she would vote in the mayoral election “on her own accord”.
The AIFB members, meanwhile, filed a police complaint, alleging that two of their winning candidates were missing.
Later in the day, party’s state convenor Ambati Joji Reddy issued a whip for two corporators Vipula Sai Jyothi and Botla Shyamala. The copies of the message have also been affixed on the walls of their residences.
Meanwhile, district in-charge minister Thummala Nageswara Rao and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu, along with Prabhakar, are said to be actively coordinating the Congress strategy to secure the mayor post.
The BRS, which secured nine corporator seats, is also took its winning candidates to a camp, which is being supervised by local MLA Gangula Kamalakar. The former minister revealed the BRS’ plan to support anyone if the deputy mayor post is offered to the pink party.
Ex officio votes are expected to play a crucial role in the final outcome, making last-minute alignments decisive in the Karimnagar mayoral contest.