VIJAYAWADA : Mallika Begum, the city's new Mayor, on Wednesday got an indication of the problems and challenges that lie before her, when opposition parties in the general body of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) said they would extend cooperation to her only as long as she performed to their expectations.

Floor leaders P. Gowtham Reddy (CPI), Ch. Babu Rao (CPI-M) and Y. Ramana Rao (TDP), who congratulated Ms. Begum on being elected to the coveted post, asked her to espouse the cause of people always, lest they should raise their voice to keep her on toes. They said problems in the areas of public health, sanitation, civic infrastructure and housing were crying for her attention.

Praise for mentors

In her thanksgiving speech, Ms. Begum said only Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy could give so much of recognition to the minority community. She thanked her mentor, MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, and the three city MLAs - Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, Devineni Rajasekhar (Nehru) and Sk. Nasar Vali - besides PCC president K. Keshava Rao and district in-charge Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy for supporting her.

Ms. Begum admitted she had very limited experience in governance but would make it up with her dedicated service to people. When reporters asked her whether she would campaign for her party in Karimnagar bye-election, she quipped in the manner of a seasoned politician: "If the high-command orders me, I will certainly campaign."

MLA creates row

Mr. Rajasekhar created a flutter earlier in the meeting when in a high pitch voice he expressed his dissatisfaction over "violation of protocol". He wanted district Collector Navin Mittal, who conducted the election, to administer the oath to Ms. Begum. But officials clarified that there was no provision for oath in an indirect election. But after some time, Mr. Rajasekhar directed his ire at commissioner Natarajan Gulzar, who left the council hall to see off the Collector, for not escorting the newly elected Mayor to her chair. But before Mr. Gulzar returned to the council hall, Deputy Mayor Ch. Krishna Kumar and former mayor Tadi Sakuntala already escorted Ms. Begum to the chair. Family members of Ms. Begum and hundreds of her supporters from one-town trooped into the corporation premises after the police relaxed entry restrictions with bouquets and garlands. After the new Mayor was led into her chamber by women corporators, the room was swarmed with several of her well-wishers.

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