Bhongir: The Mother Dairy elections turned out to be a setback for the Congress–BRS friendly understanding, with the results slipping out of their calculations. Elections were held on Saturday in Hayathnagar for three director posts, out of a total of 15, as part of the rotation system.

As per the agreement, Congress was supposed to secure two director positions and BRS one. However, the final outcome saw two BRS-backed candidates and one Congress candidate emerging victorious. The winning directors were sworn in on Saturday evening.

In the women’s quota seat, four contestants were in the fray, with Congress candidate Karnati Jayashree polling 176 votes. For the two general seats, five candidates contested. BRS candidates Sandela Bhaskar Goud from Rajapet secured 240 votes, and Racha Lakshminarsimha Reddy from Motkur won with 154 votes.

In a last-minute twist, Congress replaced its original candidate on Friday night following MLA Mandula Sameer’s criticism of the Alair MLA, DCC president, and Mother Dairy chairman. Congress withdrew Kunchala Praveen Reddy and fielded Sheelam Venkata Narasimha Reddy from Alair instead. However, he narrowly lost to Lakshminarsimha Reddy by just two votes, polling 152.

Cross-voting also altered the results, handing BRS an extra seat. Despite both parties camping together from Friday, internal differences in Congress weakened its prospects. Meanwhile, BRS supporters celebrated online, claiming all three seats as their victory.

Reports also suggest heavy spending, with allegations that each voter was offered sums ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 through camp organizers.