VIJAYAWADA: With too many aspirants for the five posts of co-opted members of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) to be elected on Friday, the Congress leaders on Thursday decided to split the five-year tenure of the members and satisfy as many of them as possible.

After prolonged discussions among themselves, local MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, Vijayawada East MLA Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, City Congress President Pyla Sominaidu and former City Congress president Kadiyala Buchibabu zeroed in on six names for the first two and half years.

Religious minorities

An understanding was reached that these members would be asked to resign after two and a half years, so that new names were considered for the remaining years.

For the two posts of co-opted members from religious minorities, K.Saramma and Munir Ahmad were finalised. While Saramma is Municipal Administration Minister Koneru Ranga Rao's choice, Munir Ahmad has the backing of the MP and both MLAs of the Congress.

But unanimity could not be reached on the names for the three posts of co-opted members with knowledge of municipal administration, as Mr.Somi Naidu and Mr.Rajagopal insisted that one of their associates be picked up.

While Mr.Somi Naidu wanted former Congress corporator Phanugu Seshu, the MP wanted corporator in the last general body Sampara Rambabu to be picked up. The issue is likely to be resolved at the eleventh hour before the general body meeting begins, or may even be put to vote.

For two other posts, the names of former Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M) corporator Korada Vijayakumar, a choice of Mr.Radhakrishna and Chellapati Lalitha Devi, a follower of Kankipadu MLA Devineni Rajasekhar, were finalised.

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