Hyderabad witnessed a dramatic twist in the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation’s power struggle just ahead of the mayor elections. Five independent councillors, including two from the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), officially joined the ruling Congress party on Sunday in the presence of state ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and D. Sridhar Babu.
One notable defector, Sai Jyoti from AIFB, had switched to the BJP on Friday but made a quick U-turn to Congress within two days. This move deals a significant blow to the BJP’s ambitions to capture control of the corporation, where elections for mayor and deputy mayor are scheduled for Monday.
In the 66-member Karimnagar Corporation, BJP holds the largest bloc with 30 seats. Congress has 14, BRS 9, AIMIM 3, and 10 independents. Securing the mayor’s post requires 34 votes, including ex-officio members.
BJP MP and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, representing Karimnagar, had earlier roped in four independents, pushing his party’s tally to 34, bolstered by his own ex-officio vote. But Congress countered aggressively, flipping one of those BJP-aligned independents and securing AIMIM’s backing while seeking support from BRS.
With the five new joiners, Congress’s strength jumps to 31, reaching 33 with ex-officio votes from local MLAs. One more vote could clinch majority, and the party has reportedly shifted its councillors to a Hyderabad hotel for safekeeping.
Meanwhile, BJP faces similar challenges in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation, leading with 28 of 60 divisions but struggling to hit the winning mark. As Monday’s polls approach, alliances and defections will decide Karimnagar’s leadership in this high-stakes local battle.