Deputy Mayor Election: Ruling NDA knocks out YSRCP

Tirupati: After a fierce battle for the Deputy Mayor post in the Tirupati Municipal Corporation, the ruling NDA knocked out the YSRCP.

In the elections held on Tuesday, the NDA candidate R C Muni Krishna who got 26 votes was declared elected. While YSRCP candidate Laddu Bhaskar Reddy got only 21 votes and 2 YSRCP candidates in the last minute changed their mind and remained neutral by not supporting any of the two. Joint Collector Subham Bansal who is also the presiding officer conducted the election and declared R C Muni Krishna elected to the Municipal Corporation’s Deputy Mayor post, bringing an end to the 48 hours high drama preceding the election.

The Corporation’s special meeting for the election of Deputy Mayor commenced exactly at 11 am on Tuesday as scheduled.

The YSRCP members numbering 23 (including ex-officio member who is MP Dr M Gurumurthy) first entered the Senate Hall of the SV University where the election meeting was conducted.

The NDA members numbering 26 (including city MLA Arani Srinivasulu who is ex officio member) came to the meeting hall exactly at 11 am. The YSRCP proposed its corporator Laddu Bhaskar for the Deputy Mayor post to whom 21 members of YSRCP raised their hands to express their support, surprisingly two YSRCP corporators Rathna and Amarnath Reddy didn’t raise their hands though they were seated along with YSRCP corporators in a group. When the NDA candidate R C Muni Krishna was proposed, 26 members including one ex officio member raised their hands to support Muni Krishna. The Joint Collector declared Muni Krishna elected as the Deputy Mayor amidst loud pumping of desks by the ruling NDA members even as the YSRCP corporators hurriedly left the hall after the defeat of their candidate.

Elaborate security arrangements were made at the S V University complex where no one was allowed except the pass holders, corporation officials and corporators.

It may be noted here that the municipal council meeting which was held on Monday was postponed for want of quorum to Tuesday. Only the 23 NDA members were present in the meeting against the required quorum of 25 of the 50-member municipal council including 47 corporators and 3 ex officio members. However, the NDA partners saw 3 more YSRCP corporators coming to their side resulting in NDA candidate RC Muni Krishna getting elected with 26 votes on Tuesday. Interestingly, YSRCP MLC Dr Cipai Subramanyam didn’t attend the meeting reportedly on health grounds.