CPI indecision keeps Kothagudem mayoral race wide open

The Kothagudem Municipal Corporation remains in suspense as the CPI has yet to decide whether to align with the Congress or the BRS for the upcoming mayoral election. With both CPI and Congress winning 22 divisions each, the hung council requires nine additional corporators to secure the mayor’s seat.

Kothagudem: Uncertainty in Kothagudem Municipal Corporation continues as the Communist Party of India (CPI) is yet to decide whether to go with the Congress or the BRS for the election of the mayor.

With the CPI remaining undecided, the Congress has reportedly started the game to gain strength by attracting independent candidates who won in six divisions of the 60 divisions in the corporation as well as opposition corporators.

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It is said that five independents got in touch with Congress. It might be noted that both the CPI and the Congress secured 22 divisions each, leading to a hung council; they need support of nine corporators to reach the magic figure of 31 to win the mayor seat.

According to sources, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy is not keen to continue the alliance with CPI and wants to win the mayor’s seat with their own strength. Hence, he directed the local leaders to get support from the opposition and independent corporators by offering a ‘good package’ to them.

CPI MLA Sambasiva Rao held an internal meeting with corporators and party leaders on Saturday to take a call on whether to accept the BRS offer or to realign with the Congress. The details of the meeting are not yet out.

Meanwhile, the CPI, Congress and the BRS have been maintaining camps to guard their corporators until February 16, the day on which the mayor and deputy mayor elections are scheduled to take place.