Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party won the Karimnagar Mayor election after securing 34 votes in the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation.
Kolagani Srinivas, a BJP corporator from the second division, was elected Mayor. Meanwhile, Y. Sunil Rao from the 42nd division was chosen as Deputy Mayor.
The Karimnagar Municipal Corporation comprises 66 divisions. In the recent elections, the BJP won 30 divisions. However, it required additional support to secure the Karimnagar Mayor election.
One corporator from the All India Forward Bloc and two independents backed the BJP’s candidates. Their support raised the tally to 33. In addition, the ex-officio vote of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar brought the total to 34 votes.
Notably, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi abstained from the voting process. This decision proved decisive in the Karimnagar Mayor election outcome.
Numbers that shaped Karimnagar Mayor election
Although the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 30 seats, it fell short of a clear majority in the 66-member corporation. Therefore, post-poll alignments became crucial in the Karimnagar Mayor election.
Initially, the situation appeared uncertain. The Indian National Congress attempted to mobilise support for its mayoral bid. According to party leaders, Congress sought backing from BRS, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, AIFB, and several independents.
However, the political dynamics shifted overnight. The BRS decided to abstain from the voting process. As a result, the Congress strategy weakened significantly in the Karimnagar Mayor election.
While Congress, AIFB, and independents participated in the voting, the absence of BRS members altered the final arithmetic. Consequently, the BJP secured the required numbers to win both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts.
The abstention ensured that the BJP’s consolidated support proved sufficient. Therefore, the party clinched control of the civic body through the Karimnagar Mayor election.
The result marked a significant development in local body politics in Karimnagar. With 34 votes, the BJP established its authority in the municipal corporation.