Tirupati: Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor election, which was scheduled on Monday, was postponed to Tuesday (February 4) for want of quorum.

Amidst high drama, the municipal council meeting held on Monday to elect Deputy Mayor. But only 22 members including city MLA, who is an ex officio member, were present against the quorum of 25 members.

Joint Collector Subham Bansal, presiding officer of the election, chaired the meeting and waited till 12.30 pm to get the quorum to conduct the election as only 22 members were present. Later, he postponed the meeting for want of quorum, informing that municipal council meeting will be held on Tuesday to elect Deputy Mayor.

Before Deputy Mayor election was postponed, a high drama was witnessed at SV University administration building where the council meeting was held in the senate hall.

The 16 corporators of YSRCP, who had decided not to attend the meeting, gathered at the university gate leading to the administrative building, and demanded release of the corporators, who were allegedly held captives by NDA leaders in an undisclosed place, forcing them to shift loyalty to the ruling party.

The YSRCP corporators said they will attend the special meeting of the municipal council for electing deputy mayor on Tuesday, but the authorities should first trace YSRCP corporators, who were forcibly taken away by NDA leaders, and allow them to attend the meeting. It may be noted here that municipal council has a strength of 50 members including 47 corporators and three ex officio members including Tirupati Lok Sabha Member (MP), MLA and MLC.

The MP and MLC belongs to YSRCP, while the city MLA belongs to Jana Sena, one of the partners of NDA government.

The council has 50 corporators in which three are vacant. This includes corporator Bhumana Abhinay Reddy, the then Deputy Mayor, had resigned before the general elections; a corporator died; and election was not held to a division due to court orders. The TDP has only one corporator but after the NDA won Assembly election, many YSRCP corporators switched their side and joined NDA.

Sources said that NDA is still to get a clear majority in the council as only 20 YSRCP corporators, who quit the party and joined NDA, attended the municipal council special meeting held on Monday.

However, NDA sources said the alliance is hoping to get the support of some more YSRCP corporators, who are going to resign YSRCP and join NDA.