Parties honing strategies for municipal polls

Narayankhed: As the municipal polls are on the way, main political parties are focussing to gain power in the council of Narayankhed. In fact, the town once became municipality and downgraded again to become panchayat due to revenue deficit. Now it has been given municipality level.

The Congress had been showing its strength in the municipal region for a long time. Even in recent panchayat elections also candidates backed by the Congress.

The town became municipality in 1952 and continued till 1962 in the year it was downgraded to panchayat. The new Telangana government upgraded the town to municipality in 2018. The municipality has more than 22,000 population and 16,057 voters. There were 18 wards in gram panchayat. But now officials classified 15 wards in municipal limits. Enumeration of the SC/ST population has been going on.

Though Congress had its hold in the region, the recent consecutive elections turned the trend slightly giving edge to ruling TRS. Local MLA Bhupal Reddy is trying hard to win the municipal elections this time.

The ruling party is inviting the strong leaders of opposition parties into its fold. As the number of defections into ruling party is more, the number of aspirants also became more. Supporters and cadres of TDP and Congress are disappointed a lot. If the sweep of the ruling party continues, TRS may win council. But Congress party is also trying hard to retain its hold over the municipality.