Congress Faces Tough Time in Adilabad Municipality Despite Chairman Post
The Congress faces a political challenge in Adilabad Municipality, where the BJP has 21 of 49 councillors and is reportedly gaining support from independents.
The Congress is facing a tough challenge from the BJP in the Adilabad Municipality even as it holds the chairman post with the support of MIM and BRS independents.
The Congress has 11 councillors in the 49-member municipality, while the BJP is the single largest party with 21 councillors. The BRS and AIMIM have six councillors each and independents are five in number.
In the changed political scenario, the BJP is reportedly enjoying the support of independent councilors. BJP MLA Payal Shankar is said to have secured the support of independent councillors by allocating funds for development works in their wards.
The political equations have also affected the election of co-option members. Municipal chairman Bandari Anusha postponed the selection of co-option members twice in the past two months. A total of 29 candidates had filed nominations for the four posts.
The selection was postponed on August 31 after councillors from BRS, Congress and MIM came to the podium during the meeting and demanded an inquiry into the alleged encroachment of government and assigned lands by Payal Shankar, an ex-officio member of the municipality.
Earlier, on May 27, five councillors and MLC Dande Vittal had complained that they had not received copies of the agenda for the election of co-option members. Anusha had subsequently postponed the election, citing law and order concerns and the unfavourable situations for conducting the meeting following complaints to collector Rajarshi Shah.
Anusha, an independent candidate and Congress rebel, was elected municipal chairperson with the support of BRS and MIM, but later joined the Congress.
Political circles had speculated that the MIM, BRS and Congress would share the four co-option posts, while the BJP would contest independently. BRS district president Jogu Ramanna was seeking two posts and AIMIM one post, citing their support for Anusha's election.
The BJP, meanwhile, is seeking more than two co-option posts with the support of its 21 councillors and independent members.
A senior Congress leader said, “It was a tough time for the Congress in the Adilabad municipal council, and the Congress chairman can’t go with her will and wish with the strong opposition by the BJP and many councillors; movements are found suspicious”.
