Qatar-returned NRI wins sarpanch post by 1 vote in Jagtial village

An NRI who returned from Qatar after 16 years was elected sarpanch of his native village Sirikonda in Jagtial district. Dharmaraju Yadav Panchita won the gram panchayat election by just one vote in the final phase.

Dubai: An NRI, who returned home after spending considerable time abroad, was elected by the people of his village to lead them as sarpanch in the final phase of gram panchayat elections that concluded on Wednesday.

Dharmaraju Yadav Panchita, who spent 16 years working in Qatar, was one of the founders of Telangana Gulf Samiti, the first organisation formed by Telangana expatriates in the gas-rich Gulf nation.

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Dharmaraju was a familiar face in the Sanaya area of Doha among Telangana NRI workers, as he volunteered to address routine issues faced by them with the support of the Indian embassy and local authorities.

After returning home, Dharmaraju chose to live in and serve his native village Sirikonda in Buggaram mandal of Jagtial district.

Apolitically, Dharmaraju contested the sarpanch election and faced stiff competition from influential opponents backed by money and muscle power. He won the election by a narrow margin of just one vote on Wednesday, polling 438 votes against his rival K Ajit Rao, who secured 437 votes.

“It was not easy to win local body elections where several factors play crucial roles, yet a sincere and simple but clear narrative with appeal can make an impact,” Dharmaraju told Telangana Today over the phone on Thursday.

Several NRIs in northern Telangana districts also emerged victorious in the gram panchayat elections.