Lottery favours Congress in Jangaon and Thorrur Municipalities

The ruling Congress secured the Chairperson posts in Jangaon and Thorrur Municipalities of the erstwhile Warangal district on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) after both contests ended in ties and were settled through a draw of lots, a provision invoked when elected and ex officio votes yield an equal result, according to official sources.

Bhuvanagiri Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and local Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy attended the special meeting to elect the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, exercising their votes as ex officio members.

The outcomes added to the ruling party’s tally in the ongoing indirect elections to Municipality leadership posts. The process in both towns unfolded amid tense political circumstances.

In Jangaon, the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) finished with equal numbers, compelling officials to invoke the lottery system. Kadakanchi Balamani of the Congress was selected as Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson’s post went to independent Councillor Parvatalu, supported by the BRS. Later, the Presiding Officer and RDO, Gopiram, handed over certificates to the elected members.

A similar situation prevailed in Thorrur municipality, where the election was conducted under heavy police deployment. Nearly 500 personnel were stationed in the area following allegations and counter-allegations between the Congress and the BRS.

Senior BRS leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, S. Madhusudhana Chary and former Minister Satyavathi Rathod, were placed under house arrest. Police also stopped buses carrying BRS councillors near Parvatagiri, prompting protests led by former Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao.

The BRS, which won nine of the 16 wards, objected to the inclusion of Warangal MP Kadiyam Kavya as an ex officio voter, alleging a procedural violation. With the final tally again tied, officials conducted a draw of lots, resulting in the election of Shravan of the Congress as Chairperson.