Kadapa Municipal council meet witnesses commotion

Kadapa Municipal Corporation meeting turns chaotic as TDP and YSRCP leaders clash over protocol violation accusations.

The council meeting of the Kadapa Municipal Corporation (KMC) witnessed a commotion on Thursday, with the leaders of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) accusing each other of protocol violation and attempts of one-upmanship.

As Kadapa city is spread across the neighbouring Assembly constituencies of Kadapa and Kamalapuram, it is a practice to provide seats to the two local legislators on the dais along with the Mayor. However, when Kadapa MLA Reddeppagari Madhavi Reddy arrived at the meeting hall, she felt that there was only a single seat on the dais, meant for the Mayor. “As the first woman legislator of Kadapa constituency, it is not only an insult to me, but all the women of the city,” she said.

Meanwhile, the corporators belonging to YSRCP expressed fear of attack, after a large number of visitors belonging to the TDP were found to be entering the meeting venue. The representatives of YSRCP, on the other hand, continued to shout slogans. Finally, the corporators led by Mayor Suresh Babu staged a walkout.

As the TDP leaders and the MLA’s supporters’ arrived in huge numbers, the Mayor called the police for additional deployment of forces expecting ‘untoward incidents’, to which the cops expressed their inability. Mr. Suresh Babu reportedly called the Collector Cherukuri Sridhar over mobile phone later, but to no avail.

Ms. Madhavi Reddy, speaking to the media later, called the ‘walkout move’ as a ploy by the Mayor to thwart discussion on the alleged corruption taking place in the civic body. “We will certainly bring out the shady deals to light and all those involved in it to the light,” she said.