BRS stares at big exodus of civic body leaders across TS

Hyderabad: The BRS is facing the problem of exodus of its public representatives in the urban local bodies in the State as they are joining the Congress party. Along with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, several other municipal heads have shifted loyalties recently, posing a threat to the BRS right before the Lok Sabha elections.

While some senior leaders based in the city have shifted to Congress, leaders in the districts including Municipal Corporation mayors, municipality chairmen are also leaving the party. While the party was successful in retaining some of the leaders at state level like the Rajendranagar MLA T Prakash Goud, the party seems to be not in control over the decisions of the heads of the municipal bodies.

The party had faced a big blow with the exit of the GHMC mayor Vijayalakshmi. She along with some corporators have joined the Congress party.

In another blow recently, the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) mayor Gundu Sudha Rani also joined the Congress party. Of late, she has been keeping away from the party programmes and was not seen in an event by the party’s working president.

Besides implementing Operation Akarsh, the Congress party has been taking away the municipalities in the districts by bringing up the no-confidence motion against the sitting BRS chairmen. The corporators and councillors are joining the Congress party and supporting the no-confidence motion and dethroning the elected BRS heads. Recently in Kamareddy, Congress corporators moved a no-confidence motion against N Jahnvi and majority of the members supported the motion resulting in her ouster and Indupriya of Congress was made the chairperson.

Along with the Operation Akarsh, the end of the four-year term has also led to no-confidence motions against the mayors and chairmen. Similarly, the majority of the BRS councillors have deserted the party from the Turkayamjal municipality. As per the rules, the councillors can move a no-confidence motion only after completion of four years. Taking this as an advantage, the councillors including the BRS candidates are supporting the motion moved by the Congress party leaders. The elected Congress MLAs are said to be involved in encouraging defections.

No-confidence motions were moved in ULBs like Bandlaguda Jagir, Ibrahimpatnam, Kosgi, Nirmal, Illendu, Manthani etc.

A senior leader of the party said that the exodus would have little impact because there was only one year term left in many ULBs. He said that the Congress party MLAs were forcing and threatening the BRS leaders locally to join Congress. However, he said that the party was still strong in the district with public support.