Childhood Friends Elected Sarpanchs With Identical 43-Vote Margin
: Two auto drivers, who studied together till Class 10 in Adilabad, scripted a rare electoral coincidence by winning sarpanch polls in neighbouring villages with the same 43-vote majority.
Adilabad district witnessed a remarkable political coincidence as two childhood friends, once classmates and now auto drivers, emerged victorious as sarpanchs in neighbouring villages both by an identical margin of 43 votes.
Talari Bhumanna of Ponnari village in Tamsi mandal and Kadadarapu Ganganna of Pochara village in Adilabad mandal share an unusual life journey. They studied together up to Class 10 at the Pochara Government High School and later took up auto driving to support their families. Known for their friendly nature and close ties with villagers, both earned widespread goodwill in their respective villages.
With the sarpanch posts in Ponnari and Pochara Gram Panchayats reserved for the SC-General category, both friends entered the fray. In the results announced on December 14, Bhumanna won the Ponnari sarpanch post by a margin of 43 votes. Interestingly, when the Pochara results were declared on December 17, Ganganna too secured victory—by the same 43-vote margin.
Though contested in two different villages which are adjacent, making the coincidence even more striking. Their parallel journeys from schoolmates to auto drivers and now elected village heads have become a talking point across the district, symbolising how grassroots goodwill can translate into electoral success.
