Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi Among Three From K Keshava Rao Family To Get Key Posts

The TRS Corporator from the upmarket Banjara Hills division Gadwal Vijayalakshmi created history in Hyderabad after being elected as the first mayor of the city on Thursday, post the bifurcation of the State of Telangana. Not only that, she has the distinction of being the fourth female mayor of Hyderabad after the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was formed.

Also Read: Who Is Hyderabad 17th Woman Mayor, Gadwal Vijayalakshmi

Her appointment led to discussions among the party leaders and analysts that three candidates from the same family got three key posts.

TRS party leaders said that the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao while ignoring criticism by the opposition parties about the family rule , went ahead by  giving one more post to the members of the family which is already enjoying two posts.

While Keshava Rao is the Rajya Sabha member and Parliamentary party leader, his son Viplav Kumar is the Chairman of Telangana Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDC).

Now with the Mayor post given to his daughter Gadwal Vijayalakshmi has brought into fore the same question about how KCR could give key posts to people from the same family.

 According to sources, the Chief Minister had decided in favour of Vijayalakshmi because of the political equations. The party is wooing the BCs in Telangana and the president of the State unit is also a BC (Munnuru Kapu) under these circumstances, the TRS chief decided to give the post to the same community leader. Interestingly the TRS chief preferred women for both the mayor and deputy mayor's post.

Also Read: Meet GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi

The main reason for Vijayalakshmi to become the mayor is KCR's faith in Keshava Rao. KCR is giving high priority to KK who joined TRS from Congress. He was appointed as the party secretary general and was sent back to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 and 2020 after the end of his tenure in the Rajya Sabha.

Political analysts believe that the main reason for Vijayalakshmi to be selected by the TRS  is KCR's faith in Keshava Rao. KCR is giving high priority to KK as he is popularly known in Party circles,who joined TRS from Congress. He was appointed as the party secretary general and was sent to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 and again in  2020 after the end of his tenure in the Rajya Sabha. Keshav Rao's son Viplav who is currently the Chairman of TUFIDC might also get an extension after his five-year term expires until further orders.

Vijayalakshmi, who won the 2016 GHMC elections, won for the second time. She also gave up her US citizenship in 2009 to join politics in Hyderabad. There were speculations in the Party circles that she would be given the Mayor post, and after a successful second win in the GHMC elections, she was given the coveted post as expected.