Congress Captures Nine Municipalities In Warangal Region

WARANGAL: The ruling Congress secured the chairperson posts in nine municipalities, including the hung councils of Kesamudram and Wardhannapet, in the erstwhile Warangal district on Monday.

The party won clear majorities in Narsampet, Bhupalpally, Parkala, Maripeda, Mulugu and Station Ghanpur. In Wardhannapet, Kesamudram and Mahabubabad, it relied on alliances and ex-officio votes to secure control.

In Wardhannapet, the BRS had six seats against the Congress’s five in the 12-member council. The lone Independent councillor, Nethavath Shibharani of the 5th ward, joined the Congress, after which MLA K.R. Nagaraj exercised his ex-officio vote, enabling the party to secure the chairperson post.

In Kesamudram, the Congress and the BRS won eight seats each in the 16-member council. The tie was resolved after Mahabubabad MP Porika Balram Naik cast his ex-officio vote in favour of the Congress.

In Mahabubabad municipality, which has 36 wards, the Congress won 13 seats, the BRS 12, CPM three, CPI three, BJP one and Independents four. The Congress secured the support of four Independent councillors. Gugulothu Jyothi, an Independent who joined the Congress, was elected chairperson with 21 votes, including the ex-officio vote of MLA Murali Naik. Surnapu Somaiah of the CPM was elected vice-chairman.

Elections in Jangaon, Thorrur and Dornakal were postponed due to lack of quorum and have been rescheduled for February 17.