Tight race on for mayor post in first Mancherial Corporation polls

Major political parties are engaged in a close contest for the first mayor post in the newly formed Mancherial municipal corporation. The BRS, Congress and BJP are intensifying efforts to secure maximum divisions ahead of the historic civic elections

Mancherial: All major political parties are locked in a tight battle for the Mayor post in the recently constituted Mancherial municipal corporation, an industrial town in north Telangana which is poised to see elections for the first time.

In February last, Mancherial municipality, which has 1.81 lakh voters, was upgraded as a corporation by merging Vempalli, Pochampahad, Mulkalla, Kothapalli, Gudipet, Narsingapur, Namnur and Chandanapur villages in Hajipur mandal, Naspur, Teegalpahad, Seetharampalli, Thallapalli and Singapur villages in Naspur mandal, and Garmilla village in Mancherial mandal, encompassing around 15 square kilometres. The corporation has 60 divisions as against 36 wards in the municipality.

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The BRS continued its winning streak by retaining the post of chairperson in polls to the civic body in 2020. It won from 21 wards, and the party could easily bag both the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson of Mancherial municipality. The party earlier secured the post of chairperson of the civic body for the first time with its 14 candidates winning and six councillors shifting loyalties towards the BRS in elections held in 2014 as well.

However, the Congress managed to get the chairperson of the municipality when the party was voted to power in polls to the Telangana Assembly in 2023 by poaching councillors of the BRS.

The BRS and Congress are now locking horns to clinch the post of the first mayor of the corporation. They are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the victory of a major portion of candidates from 60 divisions. Meanwhile, the BJP is also making sustained moves, keeping the next Assembly polls in mind. It has announced G Mukesh Goud as its mayor candidate if voted to power, while the BRS and Congress have strategically remained silent.