The chairman of JSP Salur accuses the minister of supporting an independent candidate

Salur’s new municipal chairman Gorle Vijaya Kumari at a media conference at Salur in Parvatipuram-Manyam district on Wednesday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

A war of words has erupted between newly elected Jana Sena president Salur Gorle Vijaya Kumari and supporters of Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani after the former accused the minister of supporting independent candidate Gulla Manjeer and violating alliance guidelines during the recently concluded local polls.

Although the JSP was part of the alliance parties, Ms. Kumari alleged that Minister Rani supported Ms. Manjeera who got 6,143 votes, leading to the loss of JSP councilors in three of the seven constituencies they contested. She also claimed that all the independent candidates were given the same symbol – a ‘closet’, which caused a lot of confusion among the voters.

In the Salur municipal elections held on November 1, Mr. Kumari got 9,686 votes while her nearest rival and YSRCP candidate Ribka Rani got 9,390 votes.

JSP coordinator Salur Gorle Tirupati Naidu said the violation of “alliance dharma” would be reported to the JSP high command within a few days.

Mr. Naidu questioned the logic of allotting the ‘locker’ symbol to all independent candidates and claimed that “it (independent candidates) was an unofficial panel formed to defeat the JSP”.

Supporters hit back

Meanwhile, the minister’s supporters refuted the allegations and said that the JSP candidates were defeated because there was no dedicated network at the ground level.

Meanwhile, for the post of vice-chairman, YSRCP won 13 constituencies while TDP won 11 seats in the Salur election.

JSP won four and independents were elected in three seats. A BJP candidate was elected in one constituency. Former deputy chief minister and YSRCP leader Peedika Rajanna Dora was hopeful that their party would get the post of vice-chairman as it is the single largest party in the council.

Published – 11 Nov 2026 20:38 IST