Congress Secures Wardhannapet, Kesamudram Hung Municipalities with Ex-officio Votes

By strategically utilizing ex-officio votes and securing the support of independent candidates, the party managed to break the deadlock against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

In the Wardhannapet municipality, a tie had emerged after the recent elections for 12 wards. The BRS won six seats, while the Congress secured five, and one seat went to an independent candidate. The situation was resolved when the independent councillor, Nethavath Shibharani-Rajender from the 5th ward, officially joined the Congress. Local MLA K.R. Nagaraj then cast his crucial ex-officio vote, tilting the scales in favour of the Congress candidate for the chairperson position.

A similarly intense battle unfolded in the Kesamudram municipality, where a ‘neck-and-neck’ result saw both Congress and BRS winning eight seats each out of a total of 16. Seeking to maintain their grip, BRS leaders moved their councillors to a private camp to prevent poaching. However, the Congress viewed this municipality as a matter of prestige, given that it is the home mandal of Vem Narender Reddy, a senior advisor to the Chief Minister.

In a decisive move, Mahabubabad MP Porika Balram Naik utilized his ex-officio vote in Kesamudram rather than in his usual Mahabubabad jurisdiction. This strategic shift provided the Congress with the necessary majority to claim the chairperson post. With these two victories, the Congress party has solidified its administrative control over the key urban local bodies in the district.