A Short-lived Victory for Forward Bloc
In the recently concluded municipal elections, supporters of Kalvakuntla Kavitha (former MLC and daughter of KCR) contested from the Vaddepalli Municipality under the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) banner. Out of the 10 available wards, Kavitha’s associates secured a landslide victory in 8 seats, while the Congress and BRS managed only one seat each. This win was initially seen as a successful debut for Kavitha’s camp after her departure from the BRS to eventually form her own political party.
The Unexpected Switch to Congress
However, the celebration was cut short when all 8 winning councilors from the Forward Bloc decided to join the ruling Congress party. Led by Vaddepalli Srinivas, the group met with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to officially switch their allegiance. The councilors, including Pavani, Sarada, Manjula, and others, were welcomed into the party fold in the presence of Minister Jupally Krishna Rao and MP Mallu Ravi. This move ensures that the Congress party, despite winning only one ward initially, will now hoist its flag and claim the Chairman post in the Vaddepalli Municipality.
Political Implications and State-wide Trends
The councilors stated that their decision to join the ruling party was driven by a desire for the development of their municipality, noting that CM Revanth Reddy assured them of full support. This development is a major blow to Kavitha’s nascent political plans, as her hand-picked candidates chose the “Hand” symbol immediately after winning on the “Lion” symbol. Across the state, the Congress has shown strong performance by winning over 70 municipalities, while the BRS and BJP are actively competing to secure independents in more than 30 municipalities where a “hung” result occurred.
