ASIFABAD, Telangana — Gunda Sneha, a Congress councillor from Ward 13 in Asifabad municipality, lost her seat after openly supporting BRS candidate Mengre Akash in Saturday’s chairman election. Returning Officer and RDO Lokesh announced the disqualification, citing Sneha’s hand-raised vote for Akash despite a Congress whip ordering party loyalty.

Sneha received a show-cause notice prior to the ruling. Officials deemed her submitted explanation inadequate. The move enforces Section 47 of the Telangana Municipal Act, 2019, which bars elected representatives from defying party directives in such polls.

Asifabad municipality spans 20 wards. BRS secured nine seats in recent elections, Congress took seven, and independents claimed four. Sneha’s defection handed BRS a narrow edge in the chairman race, tipping the balance away from Congress hopes.

DCC President Atram Suguna acted swiftly against internal dissent. She suspended senior Congress leader Anil Goud from the party, accusing him of pressuring Sneha to cross lines. Party insiders confirmed Goud’s involvement, though he has not commented publicly.

The episode highlights deepening rifts in Telangana’s local politics. Congress aimed to consolidate power in Asifabad, a key district in the erstwhile Adilabad region. BRS, riding its 2019-2023 state government legacy, fended off challenges from the opposition.

Returning Officer Lokesh detailed the sequence in his order. Sneha’s vote occurred during open balloting on Saturday morning. Video footage from the session showed her clear support for Akash, prompting immediate complaints from Congress observers.

Under the Act, disqualification removes Sneha from office immediately. A byelection for Ward 13 could follow within months, depending on state election schedules. Congress now holds six wards outright in Asifabad, weakening its position further.

Suguna’s suspension of Goud marks the second such action this month against party dissenters. Last week, she warned other councillors against deal-making with BRS. Goud, a longtime figure in district politics, faces a six-month primary membership ban, sources said.

Mengre Akash’s victory cements BRS control over Asifabad’s civic body. The chairman post carries influence over budgets, infrastructure projects and sanitation drives serving 40,000 residents. BRS leaders hailed Sneha’s vote as a sign of grassroots appeal.

Congress spokespeople decried the cross-vote as betrayal. State leaders plan a review of whip compliance across municipalities. In nearby Mancherial, similar tensions boiled over last month with two defections.

Asifabad sits in Telangana’s tribal belt, where Congress draws strength from Adivasi voters. BRS dominance here stems from welfare schemes launched during K Chandrasekhar Rao’s tenure. Sneha’s ouster may fuel debates on party discipline ahead of 2028 polls.

Officials expect no appeals to delay the disqualification. Lokesh’s office confirmed all paperwork complete by evening. Ward 13 residents, mostly farmers and laborers, await a replacement to address potholed roads and water shortages.