Riding high on the “development wave”, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi scripted a sweeping victory on Wednesday in the first election to the Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC) by bagging 34 of the total 50 divisions of the KMC, thereby capturing the prestigious civic body.
The maiden election to the KMC saw the emergence of the TRS as a major force to reckon with in the district headquarters town, considered a traditional stronghold of the Left parties and the Congress.
The TRS’s prospective mayoral candidates G. Papa Lal and Dharavath Rammurthy were among the winners.
Though the Congress managed to get the double digit figure of 10, the TDP suffered a complete rout as it drew a blank in the KMC election. The recent exodus of several local TDP leaders into the ruling party has spelt doom for the party. The party suffered a serious setback at the hustings.
The CPI (M), which contested the KMC election independently, could win from two divisions. The party contestants - former municipal chairperson Afroz Sameena and Sailaja emerged victorious from division 30 and 43 respectively.
The CPI candidates George Clement and P. Sakku Bhai emerged triumphant from divisions 28 and 50 respectively in alliance with the Congress. The CPI candidate and former municipal councillor Puvvada Jayasree lost the election from division 11.
The YSR Congress Party managed to win from two divisions. The party candidates S. Venkaiah won in division 4 and D. Swetha in division 34. The BJP, which fielded its candidates from 11 divisions independently, received a drubbing as it failed to open its account.
The Congress and the CPI joined hands to checkmate the ruling TRS, but with little success. The combine won 12 divisions and lost several other divisions with narrow margin.
The TRS’s poll promise of constructing two-bed room houses for poor people and all round development of Khammam town appears to have paid rich dividends to the ruling party at the hustings.
The factors like multi-cornered contests in all the divisions and the strong show by the YSRC candidates in some key divisions have eaten into the traditional vote bank of the Congress, political observers feel.
Soon after the declaration of the final election results, the TRS cadres burst into celebrations and took out rallies carrying pink flags and banners in various parts of the town.
