Tirupati Mayor Bypassed For National Event; MP Gurumoorthy Flags Protocol Breach

TIRUPATI: Tirupati MP Dr M. Gurumoorthy has raised strong objections over the exclusion of city mayor Dr R. Sirisha from a national conference scheduled to be held in Gurugram, Haryana, on July 3 and 4. The event, titled “Role of Urban Local Bodies in Constitution, Democracy and Nation Building”, is being organised at the national level to discuss the role of urban civic bodies in governance.

In a formal complaint addressed to Union minister for housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal, the MP described the move as a serious violation of protocol and democratic norms. Citing the government order issued by the Andhra Pradesh municipal administration department, which designated the Deputy Mayor as the official representative, Dr Gurumoorthy argued that this bypassed the legitimate role of the mayor, who is directly elected by the people and holds full representational authority over the city.

“It is inappropriate to sideline an elected mayor and send the deputy mayor in her place. This is not just a breach of protocol, but an insult to democratic values and an infringement of representational rights”, the MP stated in his complaint.

He further pointed out that Dr Sirisha is not only the first woman mayor of Tirupati but also a noted medical professional and a representative of the BC Yadav community. Her election, he said, symbolises social justice and the growing participation of women in leadership roles, making her omission from the event all the more unacceptable.

Dr Gurumoorthy urged the Union ministry to intervene immediately to ensure that Mayor Dr Sirisha receives a proper invitation to the conference. He also demanded that steps be taken to prevent such instances in the future.