Faction war hits Congress bid to get Asifabad municipal chairperson post

Factional infighting within the Congress has affected its bid to secure key posts in the newly formed Asifabad municipality. With independents holding the balance, rival groups led by Puranam Sathish and K Vishwaprasad Rao are competing for control

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Factional wars within the Indian National Congress have hit the party’s efforts to secure the posts of chairperson and deputy chairperson of the newly created Asifabad municipality.

While the Bharat Rashtra Samithi led with nine wards in the 20-member Asifabad civic body, the Congress won seven wards and emerged as the second force. However, independents registered victories in four wards. Suspicion prevailed over whether the independents would support either the BRS or the Congress.

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While one group is led by former MLC Puranam Sathish, another faction is being led by former DCC president K Vishwaprasad Rao. The two groups are warring to capture the chairperson post of the municipality by poaching the four independents. Shyam Naik, belonging to the Sathish faction, faced criticism for allegedly trying to abduct an independent on the day of counting.

The four independents expressed their willingness to support the Congress but opposed the candidature of Abdullah, backed by Sathish, as chairperson. It remains to be seen whether Sathish or Vishwaprasad emerges victorious.