Suspense continues over Khammam Mayor post

Khammam: Albeit Guguloth Papalal is tipped as the strong favourite to become the first citizen of the city, the haze has not been cleared yet, that who will be the first Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of the Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC). With just a few hours left for the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, the TRS leadership is tight-lipped and, in fact, has issued whip to its Corporator-elects to toe the party line when they gather at the spruced up Municipal office on Tuesday, which hasn’t seen a civic body for the last six years.

With just three ST candidates - Dr Papalal, Dharavath Rammurthy Naik and R Rama Devi – to choose from, the former appears to be a strong favourite. But with too many contenders in the fray for the Deputy Mayor post, it has become a headache for the leadership to zero in on one.

Against this backdrop, Bathula Murali, who just managed to scrape through with 61 vote margin against the Congress’ Mikkilineni Narendra in the 24th Division, has emerged as a big bet for the Deputy Mayor post, if sources are to be believed. He is said to be a staunch supporter of Minister for Roads and Buildings Tummala Nageswar Rao.

If the party decides to go with the BCs for the Deputy post, it could be Kamartapu Murali, who represents 16th Division. Meanwhile, there is another argument doing rounds that the TRS preferred a Muslim minority candidate for the Deputy Mayor post in Hyderabad. With the news is coming in from Warangal that Khaja Sirajuddin has been chosen (unconfirmed) for the Deputy post, there is a probability that TRS leadership may go with the same formula.

In that case, the party may choose either Md. Shoukat Ali (29th Division) or Sheikh Janbi (9th Division). Earlier in the day speaking to the TRS Corporators, Tummala said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will decide both Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts. He told them to work for the development of the city besides making themselves available to people.