Tirupati Deputy Mayor Election Postponed Amid Kidnap, Political Tensions

 Tirupati: The election of Deputy Mayor at Tirupati Municipal Corporation was postponed to Tuesday due to lack of quorum. Only 22 members were present at the SV University Senate Hall.

As per election regulations, at least half of the 50 members should be present for the voting process to start.

Joint collector and presiding officer Shubham Bansal said, “Since the quorum was not met, the election has been adjourned to tomorrow”.

The political atmosphere in Tirupati has been tense over the past few days, with intense camp politics. The election was originally scheduled for 11am on Monday, with RC Munikrishna contesting as the alliance candidate, while the YSR Congress announced Laddu Bhaskar Reddy’s name at the last moment.

Reports indicate that the alliance candidate has the support of 24 corporators, while voting was to be conducted among 47 elected corporators and three ex-officio members.

Tensions escalated late Sunday night when several YSRC corporators were allegedly herded into some hotels “against their will.” YSRC in-charge Bhumana Abhinay Reddy accused alliance leaders of orchestrating the move to prevent their corporators from voting.

By Monday morning, police made necessary arrangements for the election. However, YSRC leaders complained that their corporators had been kidnapped and demanded their release before start of the voting process.

The high-stakes political drama unfolded at the election venue in the SVU Police Station limits.

While corporators supporting the alliance arrived for the election on Monday morning, YSRC members came in a bus but were allegedly confronted and taken away in cars.

Protesting against the incident, YSRC corporators, Mayor Sireesha and the local MP M Gurumurthy boycotted the election, stating that they would participate only if their members were released. They also warned of legal action.

YSRC spokesperson and former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy accused the ruling coalition of creating chaos to secure the deputy mayor’s post. He alleged that alliance leaders, fearing a lack of majority, resorted to intimidation tactics, including the abduction of YSRC corporators.

“Despite all threats, 23 of our corporators stood firm”, he said.

Reddy alleged that certain officials, including the presiding officer, acted in favour of the ruling alliance, leading the YSRC to file a lunch motion petition in the high court demanding a permanent postponement of the election.

The YSRC leader also alleged that TD and Jana Sena leaders, under the guidance of revenue minister Anagani Satya Prasad, orchestrated violence against YSRC members. He claimed that ruling-backed groups vandalised properties belonging to YSRC corporators and physically assaulted them.

He also accused local police of standing by as attackers forcibly took away four YSRC corporators. “It is the district SP’s responsibility to trace and return them safely,” he demanded.

Tirupati MLA and Jana Sena leader Arani Srinivasulu refuted these claims, stating that Karunakar Reddy himself was responsible for inciting violence. He argued that if YSRC had the majority, they would not have avoided voting. “It was their corporators who blocked us from reaching the council meeting”, he said.

He dismissed claims of kidnapping, stating that the corporators in question were safe at their relatives’ homes and even released videos to support his claim. The MLA also defended revenue minister Satya Prasad, claiming that Karunakar Reddy had no locus standi to criticise him.