BRS leaders house arrested amid high tension in Thorrur ahead of municipal chairman poll

Heavy police deployment and political protests marked the Thorrur Municipality elections in Warangal district. Senior BRS leaders were placed under house arrest, while buses carrying councillors were stopped, sparking allegations of selective restrictions.

Warangal: Tension gripped Thorrur Municipality on Tuesday ahead of the election for chairman and vice-chairman under heavy police deployment, following allegations and counter-allegations between the BRS and the ruling Congress.

Several senior BRS leaders who were appointed as party in-charges including Legislative Council Opposition leader S Madhusudhana Chari and former Minister Satyavathi Rathod were placed under house arrest. The party termed the move undemocratic.

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The oath-taking and chairman election in Thorrur among 11 municipalities was postponed earlier due to lack of quorum. On Tuesday, authorities deployed around 500 police personnel to prevent clashes. The chairman and vice-chairman elections were scheduled for 12.30 pm amid tight security.

Police also stopped buses carrying BRS councillors near Parvatagiri in Warangal district. Senior leaders, including Errabelli Dayakar Rao, staged protests alleging selective restrictions, pointing to the police giving free access to Congress legislators. As a minor scuffle ensued, Dayakar Rao and other leaders managed to proceed towards Thorrur.

The BRS alleged that it was prevented from securing the chairman’s post despite winning 9 of the 16 wards, compared to the Congress party’s 7 seats. The contest turned contentious after ex-officio votes of the local MLA and MP levelled the tally. The BRS objected to the registration of Warangal MP Kadiyam Kavya as an ex-officio member in Thorrur, in violation of norms.

The party also lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission, stating that Kavya had already been sworn in as an ex-officio member of the Warangal Municipal Corporation and could not be registered in another civic body.