CM Revanth's Strategy To Secure Control of Hung ULBs Pays Off

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s strategy to secure control of urban civic bodies that delivered fractured mandates paid off, as the Congress successfully stitched together post-poll alliances to assume power in most of them on Monday. Ministers, MPs, MLCs and MLAs as well as senior party leaders were deployed across districts to coordinate negotiations, prevent defections and consolidate support, enabling the party to take charge of 87 municipalities and five municipal corporations despite the absence of a clear mandate in several places.

With these victories, the Congress has gained control of more than 80 per cent of urban local bodies in Telangana, reinforcing its momentum following the recent gram panchayat elections in which Congress-backed candidates secured 67 per cent of sarpanch posts. The ruling party has now set its sights on the upcoming ZPTC and MPTC elections, aiming to cross the 90 per cent mark as it seeks to extend its dominance across all tiers of local governance.

In the Nizamabad Municipal Corporation, where the BJP had emerged as the single largest party, the Congress leadership moved swiftly to alter the political arithmetic. Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud were sent to Nizamabad to explore options for securing the mayoral post. After negotiations with the AIMIM and Independents, the Congress managed to gather the required numbers. The Congress won the mayoral post, while the deputy mayor position was allotted to AIMIM as part of the post-poll understanding between the two parties.

In Kamareddy municipality, the Congress secured the chairperson post even though the BJP had won more seats than the Congress and the BRS. With support from the BRS, the Congress ensured the BJP was even kept out of the deputy chairperson position. In return, the BRS was accommodated with the deputy chairperson post as part of the arrangement.

The Congress also pulled off significant gains in the Narsapur and Aliyabad municipalities, where the BRS had emerged as the single largest party. Through strategic negotiations, the Congress secured the chairperson posts in both municipalities, while the BJP was offered the deputy chairperson positions.

In Bodhan municipality, the Congress defeated the BJP to claim the chairperson post with the backing of AIMIM, further consolidating its urban footprint.