The power struggle in Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen helped the Congress score a stunning victory over TRS-MIM alliance in the election to the chairperson of the Tandur municipality right in the presence of the local MLA and Transport Minister P. Mahender Reddy on Saturday.
Vikarabad Sub-Collector Sandeep Kumar Jha presided over the by-election on the orders of the State Election Commission in the wake of the resignation of outgoing chairperson Kotrika Vijayalakshmi and vice-chairman Sajid Ali. They had resigned as part of an understanding between TRS and MIM to share the chairpersonship during the five-year term as both parties had 10 councillors each in the 31-member council. It was agreed that TRS candidate Vijayalakshmi would serve as chairperson for the first two and a half years and MIM would take the post in the second half.
As soon as the proceedings were initiated by Mr. Jha, the Minister asked the MIM to name its candidate but one of its members, Asif, who was later to become vice-chairman, shocked the participants saying the party was not putting up a candidate for chairperson. Mr. Asif led a breakaway group of MIM comprising six councillors even as the Minister intervened to advise them that the understanding between the TRS and MIM must be honoured. But, with the six councillors, it fell on deaf ears .
The TDP with two members and the lone councillor of the BJP remained silent to the goings-on but the Congress announced the candidature of Sunitha Sampath which was supported by six councillors of the MIM.
The Sub-Collector commenced the election by show of hands wherein the eight councillors of Congress, six of the MIM, two of the TDP and one of the BJP constituted one group. The MIM proposed the candidature of Mahmooda Begum but she secured only 15 votes to 17 of Ms. Sunitha Sampath. Ms Begum was backed by 10 councillors of the TRS, four of the MIM and the Minister himself.
The struggle for chairpersonship between Ms. Begum and another councillor of the MIM Sofia was said to be the cause of split in the party. The chairpersonship of the Tandur municipality is reserved for woman (general).
After the chairperson’s election, the TRS and MIM stayed away from the election of vice-chairperson which went to Mr. Asif.
The election not only shocked the Minister but an MLA and MLC of the MIM who had camped in Tandur. Mr. Reddy blamed the Congress for engineering a split in the MIM.
