Jeevan Reddy–Sanjay Kumar rivalry clouds Jagtial civic body formation

Factionalism within the Congress has left the Jagtial municipal council in limbo, with no group securing a majority in the 50-member body. Congress won 23 seats, but internal divisions between senior leader T Jeevan Reddy and MLA Dr Sanjay Kumar have split the party’s strength.

Jagtial: The rift between senior Congress leader T Jeevan Reddy and local MLA Dr Sanjay Kumar appears to have persisted even after the municipal elections, as no group secured a clear majority in the 50-member council.

The ongoing conflict between the two leaders deepened during ticket allocation, with the Jeevan Reddy group receiving only 15 tickets out of 50 wards, while 35 tickets were allotted to the MLA’s group by the Congress party. Upset over the party’s decision, supporters of the senior Congress leader contested as Independents.

---

Similarly, followers of the legislator, who were denied tickets also entered the fray as Independents. Going a step further, Jeevan Reddy campaigned for the victory of certain Independents, drawing criticism for crossing party lines.

Of the 50 wards, Congress won 23, Independents 15, BJP six, BRS four and MIM two. A minimum of 26 councillors is required to capture the municipality.

However, no party or group secured the required majority. Though Congress secured 23 seats, seven councillors are said to belong to Jeevan Reddy’s group.

At the same time, 10 Independents are reportedly followers of the senior leader. Sixteen Congress councillors and two Independents are believed to be aligned with Sanjay Kumar’s group. As a result, neither faction can independently stake claim to the municipal council.

There is a possibility that Congress may form the council with the support of MIM and the MLA’s ex officio vote. However, it remains unclear whether councillors belonging to Jeevan Reddy’s group will extend support, particularly if the party issues a whip.

Further uncertainty prevails over whether Sanjay Kumar will seek to exercise his ex officio vote, as the Assembly Speaker recently clarified that the Jagtial MLA was in the BRS.

These developments have triggered intense political speculation in Jagtial. The final outcome will likely be clear in the next two days.