ANANTAPUR: Local strongman J.C. Prabhakar Reddy proved his mettle by retaining a majority of wards in Tadipathri municipality and also winning the poll as municipal councillor.
Tadipathri is a municipality known for its faction politics. It was labeled a model municipality due to efforts by JC Prabhakar Reddy as its municipal chairman, former vice chairman and also as MLA of Tadipathri Assembly segment.
YSRC had made serious efforts to occupy the Tadipathri seat and local MLA K. Pedda Reddy planned to make his son the chairman. Two wards saw unanimous election in favour of the YSRC.
Prabhakar Reddy led the municipal poll campaign and fielded candidates in all other wards and also offered a ward for CPI. He campaigned on the slogan of ‘Save Tadipathri from the YSRC' and was more spirited after police denied him permission for holding a campaign in Main Bazar area on the final day of the campaign.
Of total 36 municipal wards, TD won 18 and the CPI one ward while the YSRC was confined to 14 wards and an independent candidate, a YSRC rebel, won from Tadipathri. In the 34th ward, TDP and YSRC candidates won equal votes of 917 each. However, YSRC candidate Pula Rupa won the poll during a lucky dip.
Reacting to the victory, JC Prabhakar Reddy said the people
were alerted over the YSRC’s illegal activities and hence he raised the slogan of Save Tadipathri. “It is the victory of the people who wished to save their town. They put their trust in me. I will be for the people of Tadipathri,” Reddy, who will be the municipal chairman, observed.
Meanwhile, JC Prabhakar Reddy and JC Pavan Reddy shifted all the TD councillors to Hyderabad, suspecting a trap by YSRC to grab municipal chairman seat.
