The suspense over the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts in Kothagudem Municipal Corporation has finally ended. After two days of intense negotiations, the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India sealed a power-sharing agreement. Both parties agreed to divide the five-year term equally to ensure stable governance.
Under the formula, CPI will hold the Mayor post for the first two and a half years, while Congress will take the Deputy Mayor position. Later, the two parties will swap roles for the remaining term. This understanding has brought clarity and eased political tension in the corporation.
Hung Verdict Forces Strategic Understanding
The corporation consists of 60 divisions, and parties needed 31 seats to secure a majority. However, the results produced a hung verdict. Congress won 22 seats, and CPI also secured 22 seats.
At this stage, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi extended unconditional support to CPI. With the backing of eight BRS corporators, CPI strengthened its position. Initially, Congress explored support from independents and rebel corporators to claim the Mayor post. Senior leaders from both sides later stepped in and encouraged a negotiated settlement instead of prolonged uncertainty.
Intense Race for the Mayor Post
Attention has now shifted to CPI’s internal decision on its Mayor candidate. Since authorities reserved the Mayor seat for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) General category, only eligible ST corporators can occupy the position. Among CPI’s 22 winners, three corporators belong to the ST category and qualify for consideration.
Three Ganesh won from the 20th division in Sujathanagar with a margin of 277 votes. Nunavat Shyamala secured the 31st division in Palvoncha by 73 votes. Banothu Kalavathi claimed victory in the 52nd division of Kothagudem with a 224-vote majority. These three leaders now stand at the centre of political discussions.
Meanwhile, three independent corporators from the ST category also won their divisions, which has added fresh political calculations.
High Stakes in a Reserved Corporation
Leaders reserved the Kothagudem Mayor seat under the ST General category, which heightened competition. Out of 60 divisions, 11 seats went to ST candidates. As a result, many aspirants entered the electoral contest with strong ambitions.
Several new faces also joined active politics. Dr Bhukya Srinivasa Rao contested from the 6th division on a Congress ticket and achieved a 608-vote majority, the second-highest margin in the corporation. Swapna Naik, wife of senior leader Shankar Naik, won from the 19th ward. Gugulothu Srinu from the 3rd division, Banothu Anita from the 23rd division, and Banothu Balu from the 33rd division also secured victories.
Political Stability for the Next Five Years
The agreement between Congress and CPI has paved the way for stable administration in Kothagudem. CPI will soon announce its Mayor candidate for the first phase, while Congress will assume the Deputy Mayor post.
With the power-sharing model in place, the corporation can now focus on governance and development. Residents await the official announcement that will mark the beginning of a new political chapter in Kothagudem.
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