TRS bags mayor posts in over 100 urban local bodies

The ruling TRS in Telangana, which swept the Urban Local Body (ULB) polls held last week, on Monday bagged the Mayor or Chairman posts in more than 100 ULBs of the total 120 municipalities and nine Corporations.

The election to the posts of Mayor or Municipal Chairman and Vice Chairman or Deputy Mayor led a to war of words between the TRS and the Congress, BJP with the ruling party and opposition accusing each other of adopting unethical practices to secure the top posts in the urban local bodies.

While the TRS bagged more than 100 ULBs, Congress managed to win only four municipalities, while the BJP and AIMIM got two each, according to official information on Monday night.

TRS working president K T Rama Rao said his party was miles ahead of the opposition as it bagged 119 of the 127 ULBs.

The indirect election to the top posts in ULBs has been postponed in two municipalities.

He alleged that the opposition Congress and BJP reached an understanding at many places to get the chairman and vice chairman posts.

Citing some examples, he alleged that while chairman post went to one party, the vice chairman post was taken by the other.

Thanking the voters for the landslide victory, he said the TRS government would make sincere efforts for the fulfillment of promises made by his party in the polls.

Birth and death certificates besides land use certificates would be provided online in municipalities, he said.

Building construction approval process, which has earned notoriety, would be corrected, he asserted.

Training would be provided to town planning personnel and the government would not hesitate to dismiss them from service for lapses on their part, he said, adding it would be tough towards illegal layouts by real estate developers.

Meanwhile, state BJP president K Laxman alleged that the TRS adopted unethical means to win the municipal posts.

He alleged that the TRS government adopted undemocratic means in the matter of MPs and others, who have ex-officio powers, participating in the indirect election.

Former Congress MP Madhu Yashki Goud alleged that ex- officio members have been given choice against the spirit of people's verdict.

Rama Rao, however, said the party used its options as per rules.