The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Civic chief to step down today

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Civic chief to step down today

Correspondent

Avanapu likely to succeed her

VIZIANAGARAM: Municipal Chairperson Meesala Geetha (Congress) has decided to step down on Monday. She was in the chair for two years and 10 months.

At a press conference on Sunday, Ms. Geetha said following a directive from Minister for Housing Botcha Satyanarayana she had decided to submit her resignation on Monday. She reeled out development works she had executed during her tenure.

Vice-Chairperson Avanapu Suri Babu is likely to be elevated as per the gentlemen agreement entered into between the Minister and local MLA Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy after the elections in 2005.

It may be recalled that Mr. Veerabhadra Swamy had fielded his men in the municipal elections as Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidates. In the elections, out of the 38 wards in the town, Congress and BSP won 13 wards each, TDP 11 and independent one. As no party got the majority Mr. Satyanarayana and Mr. Swamy, who quit the Congress just before elections to the Assembly and contested as an independent, came to an understanding that each party candidates would share the term of the chairperson’s office equally. But, the MLA joined the Congress along with all councillors over a year after the municipal elections thus paving the way for a smooth administration in the Municipal Council. Now, with the anticipated change of political equations in a few weeks when film actor Chiranjeevi float a new party, the Minister and the MLA had decided to pacify Mr. Suri Babu, who was promised the post as per the gentlemen agreement, and asked Ms. Geetha to step down.

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