tirupati: The Telugu (TD) party achieved a crucial victory in Kuppam Rutinipality – the hometown constituency of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu – secured the municipal chairman in a dramatic event. The elections held on Monday saw an unexpected political reorganization that was good for TD.
Tensions are higher than presidential elections. Surprisingly, three MPs from the YSR Congress (YSRC) crossed the party line to support TD. TD MLC Kancharla Srikanth played an important role in persuading YSRC MPs, cutting the balance of power in TD.
Of the 24 municipal members, 14 councillors and one former member voted for the candidates of TD. By comparison, only nine YSRC members participated in one. Selva Raj is a member of the 6th Ward, a member of the influential Vannekula Kshatriya community, who was elected as chairman.
Elections are shaped by social dynamics, candidates from the backward class (BC) and Vannekula Kshatriya community compete for support. Selva Raj’s campaign, under the leadership of the party and the support of the community, merged the votes and won the TD. The victory sparked a celebration between TD, Jana Sena and BJP Alliance leaders and workers gathered outside the MPDO office.
The city of Kupam has been under the control of the YSRC before, with 19 out of 25 MPs in the last government. But after the TD-led coalition returned to the state, YSRC Chairman Dr. D. Sudheer resigned, paving the way for the by-election. Additionally, five YSRC MPs rebeled TD, which led to Monday’s results.
To prevent further defection, YSRC moved its MPs to Bangalore under the leadership of MLC Krj Bharat to protect their numbers. However, their return to Kupam on Monday morning did not stop TD’s victory. After the election, YSRC Regional President Bhumana Karunakar Reddy announced the suspension of party MPs supporting TD, citing Indiscipline and Betrayal.
YSRC MLC Bharat accused the TD-led coalition of appealing to undemocratic strategies. He claimed that despite occupying 19 of 25 seats, the YSRC still faces coercion, financial incentives and threats from the TD leader. He condemned the process as a “black day” of democracy, claiming that up to 5 million rupees have been provided to YSRC MPs. Bharat vowed to challenge defection in court and seek to disqualify the MP.
