Hyderabad: With the battle for urban power entering its decisive phase, chief minister A
Revanth Reddy has moved swiftly to consolidate numbers and close ranks within the Congress. Even before the election to mayoral and chairperson posts, the message from the top was clear: Stay alert, stay united, and secure the mandate.
At a meeting with ministers and senior party leaders on Saturday, Revanth directed them to remain on high alert until elections to the posts of mayors, deputy mayors, chairpersons and vice chairpersons are held on Monday. The ruling Congress is aiming to secure its mayors and chairpersons in at least 90 to 93 of the 123 urban local bodies that went to polls.
Sources said the CM gave the green signal to ministers and senior leaders to induct into the party all independents and rebels who have won and are willing to join the Congress for the development of their wards, divisions and urban local bodies. The move is expected to strengthen the party's position in municipalities where a hung verdict has emerged and improve its prospects in the election of mayors and chairpersons.
The meeting also decided that candidates elected on other party tickets, but willing to support the Congress, should be permitted to do so, sources added.
Goud's assurance
Revanth made specific inquiries about the situation in Karimnagar and Nizamabad municipal corporations, where the verdict was fractured. A source present at the meeting said TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud assured the CM that the Congress would secure the mayor's post in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation.
The CM also directed party leaders to speak to CPI MLA and state secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao regarding the mayor and deputy mayor posts in Kothagudem Municipal Corporation, where the Congress and CPI have won 22 seats each.
Congratulating ministers on what he described as an impressive performance in the elections, Revanth attributed the results to coordinated teamwork by ministers, party leaders and cadres, along with the trust reposed by the people in the Congress govt.
Welfare schemes
"The Congress govt has done a lot in just two years that the previous BRS govt could not do in 10 years. The municipal election results are the testimony to the development works and the welfare schemes implemented in two years which also instilled trust in the people's govt," the CM said.
Stating that the state must advance further on the path of development while retaining public trust, he instructed ministers to carry forward the same momentum in future elections and ensure that the benefits of welfare schemes and development programmes reach people consistently.
Having 30 years of experience, Roushan Ali is covering the govt, ...
Read MoreHaving 30 years of experience, Roushan Ali is covering the govt, chief minister's office and politics as a senior assistant editor of The Times of India. During the three decades of journalism career he had initially covered important citizen-centric and infrastructure beats like urban development, water and electricity supply, traffic and transport, cantonment, education, welfare and rural development.
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