HYDERABAD: In a dramatic turn of events,

and

came together on Monday to pull the rug from under TRS’s feet to bag the chairperson and vice-chairperson posts in Manikonda municipality, which is predominantly a IT hub. Surprisingly, Congress had to eat humble pie in Nalgonda municipality and alleged that

won the municipal chairperson post thanks to the help it received from BJP with which it joined hands in Manikonda.

But, it was in Manikonda where all the drama happened with TRS trying to mobilise numbers to win the top post in the urban local body. But, Congress and BJP workers were two steps ahead of TRS by coming to an understanding and walked away with chairperson and deputy chairperson posts respectively.

Sources said former Congress MP from Chevella Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and Rangareddy district Congress workers played a big part in working out strategy with BJP. TRS working president and municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao termed it an “unholy alliance” of two national parties.

Vishweshwar told TOI that Congress and BJP came together in the interests of people of Manikonda. “There is an acute water problem in the municipal area and TRS has done nothing. Even members of Neknampur lake committee were in favour of Congress-BJP coming together to keep out TRS,” he said.

“I gave the go-ahead after an understanding was reached between local Congress and BJP leaders. We will continue to fight against each other in every other election. This understanding in Manikonda is for the welfare of the people and confined to Manikonda only,” he added.

BJP Telangana president K Laxman said local party leaders worked out the agreement with Congess for development of the municipality. “The BJP state-level leadership has no role in the Congress-BJP understanding in Manikonda. The BJP state leadership does not think on the lines of going along with Congress,” Laxman said.

In Narsingi municipality also, Congress and BJP tried to come together but TRS outwitted the two national parties by luring a BJP ward member. He had assured Congress of supporting it, but went missing. His supporters claimed he did not return after going out to brush his teeth early in the morning.