BJP, Congress unite to prevent TRS in Manikonda Municipality

Hyderabad: In Manikonda Municipality the BJP and Congress have joined hands to keep TRS at bay. Of the 20 municipality wards, Congress won eight, BJP six, TRS five, and an Independent candidate won one. The BJP-Congress alliance has raised many eyebrows in the state political circles.

As per the political tie-up for Manikonda Municipality, Congress will get the Chairman’s post, while BJP will settle for the post of Vice-Chairman. While BJP had a clear win in Amangal, in Makthal municipality it teamed with the Congress. TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao called it an “unholy tie-up”. He said, “Just for one or two municipalities, Congress and BJP are coming together and showing their real face to the people. BJP and Congress are like snake and mongoose. Both the national parties fight in New Delhi and across the country. Here, they come together to play cheap politics to prevent TRS. Now, people know who is what.

“Earlier, TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy used to say the TRS is BJP’s ‘B’ team while local BJP chief Dr K. Laxman called TRS the ‘B’ team of Congress. With the latest unholy alliance, Telanganites now know who is the ‘B’ team of which party. Congress and BJP are friends in the backyard while they fight in the streets for power. TRS won 95 per cent of seats in 120 municipalities and nine corporations. We are set to bag Karimnagar corporation also,” said KTR.

BJP won Amangal Municipality with a clear majority as it bagged 12 of the15 wards. TRS won one and while an Independent candidate aged the other. Despite falling short of two seats, TRS clinched Kolhapur municipality with the help of ex-officio votes. It denied taking the support of rebel candidates, who are close associates of former TRS minister Jupally Krishna Rao. “We are using ex-officio votes to get Municipalities, where we need extra support. TRS is not the first party to use ex-officio votes. TDP had brought this law facilitating ex-officio votes. TDP government brought a law facilitating MLAs with ex-officio voting right in 1999, and Congress facilitated MLCs with ex-officio voting right in 2008. TRS is not the first party to exercise ex-officio votes,” said KTR.