Amid high drama, Syed Tahseen elected as Deputy Mayor of Nellore Municipal Corporation

Syed Tahseen, who got elected as Deputy Mayor of Nellore Municipal Corporation on Monday.

In a series of dramatic twists and turns, elections were held for Deputy Mayor post at Nellore Municipal Corporation (NMC) and vice-chairman post in Buchireddypalem municipal panchayat in SPSR Nellore district on Monday.

As per the notification released by Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission, the polling started at both locations at 11.00 a.m.. Nellore District Joint Collector K. Karthik and DPO Sridhar Reddy were the Presiding Officers at NMC office and Buchireddypalem respectively.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) announced 48th Division Corporator Syed Tahseen as their candidate for the Deputy Mayor post. YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) issued a whip against her for leaving their party and jumping into the ruling one.

Meanwhile, TDP strategically made her contest as an independent candidate. Winning 41 votes of the corporators, Tahseen got elected as the Deputy Mayor of NMC. She is the first minority woman to achieve this position. YSRCP candidate Shaik Karimullah got only 12 votes.

Former Minister and YSRCP Nellore district president Kakani Govardhan Reddy said that he will complain to the Election Commissioner as the corporators who won from their party jumped to TDP. Citing 91st Constitutional amendment, he said that Tahseen must be disqualified.

Expressing similar views, YSRCP Nellore city in-charge and MLC Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy said, “Contesting as an independent candidate, Tahseen cannot escape from disqualification. We will approach the court against 40 corporators who violated the whip. They will be punished.”

Tahseen thanked MA and UD Minister Ponguru Narayana, Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and other leaders of the NDA alliance for supporting her. She promised to work hard for the development of the city, and maintain the trust reposed in her.

Minister Narayana and MLA Sridhar Reddy exuded confidence that the alliance candidates will win in all 54 divisions in Nellore during the next urban body elections. They thanked the corporators who helped in electing Tahseen as Deputy Mayor.

In Buchireddypalem, 9th ward councillor Ertapalli Siva Kumar Reddy was elected as the first vice-chairman and 8th ward councillor Pathan Nasreen, as the second vice-chairman. Both are TDP candidates and won with 15 votes each.