VIJAYAWADA: The newly-created impasse over the selection of candidate for the post of city mayor continues to persist what with local MP Lagadapati Rajagopal bringing forth numerous permutations and combinations. The ball has again put in the court of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to announce the final decision.

City legislators Devineni Rajasekhar and Vangaveeti Radhakrishna; Mr. Rajagopal and City Congress president Pyla Sominaidu called on Krishna district in-charge minister J.C.Diwakar Reddy at Hyderabad on Wednesday and expressed their opinions on the choice of the mayoral candidate. In fact, Dr. Reddy intervened in the matter over a fortnight ago and cleared the names of M.V. Ratna Bindu and Malika Begum to occupy the coveted post for two years each in that order.

However, Mr. Rajagopal, who was away in the United States at the time of that decision, revived debate over the issue on his return. He has been arguing that installing Ms. Begum as the mayor immediately will create an impact on the minority Muslim community across the State.

Though Dr. Reddy cleared the name of Ms. Begum for becoming the mayor in the next leg, Mr. Rajagopal is apprehensive of the possibility. For, Mr. Rajasekhar and Mr. Radhakrishna have been contending that the mayoral nominee should be given opportunity to perform by staying on in the post for the remaining four years. They say that this will enable the person occupying the office to deliver the goods.

The disconcerted approach not only maims the leader officiating as mayor in terms of performance and wielding authority, it affects the dignity of the office.

MP changes tack

However, the two legislators, who have been campaigning for Ms. Bindu, have relented to accommodate Ms. Begum in the second leg, considering the political equations in the city Congress.

Mr. Rajagopal has changed tack and proposed that let Ms. Begum be made the mayor for one year first. The next year can be given to Anne Prasanaa, a staunch follower of Mr. Rajasekhar, and that the remaining two years can be given to Ms. Bindu. Interestingly enough, Mr. Rajasekhar and Mr. Radhakrishna are flabbergasted with the MP bringing in the name of Ms. Prasanna, which neither of them have proposed ever. What is interesting here is that both legislators are sounding confident about Ms. Bindu's enthronement as the next mayor of the city.

Thus, the much-hyped Wednesday's meeting at Hyderabad ended in a whimper.

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