BY BHADRADRI KOTHAGUD
The CPI proved its mettle in its traditional stronghold of Kothagudem by winning 22 of the total 60 divisions of the Kothagudem Municipal Corporation (KMC).
The electoral mandate produced a deadlocked council, with the ruling Congress party also winning 22 divisions in the KMC. BRS won eight divisions and CPI (M) and BJP secured one division each, while six divisions went to independent candidates.
The hotly contested election battle of Kothagud in the heart of the state’s coal belt witnessed high-voltage campaigning by major political parties, including the Congress and the CPI, both the constituent parties of the INDIA bloc, which contested the KMC elections separately.
The CPI election campaign was led by party state secretary and Kothagudem MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao.
The CPI left no stone unturned in its efforts to gain voter support primarily by emphasizing its mass movements for the support of the working class, including the workers of Singareni and other working masses in the industrial city.
Kothagudem was upgraded to a municipal corporation by the state government last year. The municipal bodies of Kothagudem and Palvancha along with several gram panchayats near them were merged to form a new municipal corporation.
The just concluded first corporation elections witnessed a tight contest with all the major political parties campaigning at high decibels.
As the election results left the council in turmoil, the main opposition BRS, with eight divisions in its kitty, extended its support to the CPI to win the mayor’s post and run the KMC.
Published – 13 Feb 2026 20:08 IST