BJP wins Mayor’s post in Karimnagar, Cong bags Nizamabad

Hyderabad: Telangana’s opposition BJP captured power in Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, while the ruling Congress party bagged the seat of Mayor in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation with the support of AIMIM on Monday.

Kolagani Srinivas was elected as the first BJP Mayor of Karimnagar in a keen contest.The BJP, which had emerged as the single largest party with 30 seats in the 66-member municipal body, reached the magic figure of 34 with the support of Independent corporators.

Y Sunil Rao, also of the BJP, was elected as Deputy Mayor. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who was also an ex officio member, played a key role in mustering the required support for the party to bag the post of mayor. The Congress party, which had only 14 members, could get the support of seven other corporators, including three of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which had secured nine seats, abstained from voting. In a dramatic twist ahead of the election, five Independent corporators joined the Congress party on Sunday.The ruling party had also shifted its corporators and the Independents, who joined it, to Hyderabad as part of the strategy to deny the Mayor’s seat to the BJP.