Date:06/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/06/stories/2006100609130100.htm

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Ratna Bindu to be next Vijayawada Mayor

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister intervenes to settle the dispute over new Mayor between two groups of the ruling party.

Ratna Bindu

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has intervened to settle the dispute between two groups in the Vijayawada Congress to select the party's candidate for the Mayoral post of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.

Accordingly, Ratna Bindu, whose name has been proposed by Devineni Rajasekhar and Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, Congress MLAs, will become the Mayor for a two-year term out of the remaining four years.

Mallika Begum, whose name has been proposed by Vijayawada MP Lagadabati Rajagopal, will take the subsequent two-year turn. Mayor T. Shakuntala of the Communist Party of India, who was given a one-year term following an agreement with the Congress, will step down from her post on Friday.

The Congress MLAs of Vijayawada insisted that their nominee be given the remaining four-year term while the Mr. Rajagopal persisted with his choice, Mallika Begum. APCC president K. Keshava Rao, who unsucessfully tried to settle the dispute, threw the ball into the court of Chief Minister.

Dr. Reddy reportedly advised both groups to settle for two years' term each. CPI State Secretary K. Narayana said Mrs. Shakuntala would formally announce her resignation at the general body meeting of the VMC as part of the electoral understanding with the ruling party.

It was agreed by the two parties that the CPI would get the Mayorship for the first year and the Congress for the second and third year. The CPI will get one more year .

The process of electing a new Mayor through a notification by the State Election Commission is likely to be completed in about ten days.

Till then, Deputy Mayor Ch. Krishna Kumar will officiate as Mayor.