Telangana: Kolagani Srinivas elected as Karimnagar's BJP Mayor; Bandi Sanjay Kumar expresses delight over his appointment

Karimnagar (Telangana) [India], February 16 (ANI): The post of "Mayor" of the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation has gone to a 'common man' as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP ) has finalised the name of 2nd Division BJP Corporator Kolagani Srinivas as its candidate for Mayor.
Former Mayor Sunil Rao has been appointed Deputy Mayor, and State BJP President N Ramachandra Rao signed the official letter confirming the appointment.
BJP Legal Cell State leader Antony Reddy brought the sealed letter to Karimnagar this morning. In this context, a meeting of BJP corporators was convened at the V Convention in the city.
The letter was handed over to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar and BJP Karimnagar District In-charge Dr Gangidi Manohar Reddy. On the occasion, Dr Manohar Reddy informed the corporators of the names finalised by the party high command and sought their views, according to a release from Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
During the meeting, 39th Division Corporator Masam Ganesh proposed Kolagani Srinivas for Mayor, seconded by 62nd Division Corporator Peddapalli Srilekha. Similarly, 29th Division Corporator Somidi Venu Prasad proposed Sunil Rao for Deputy Mayor, and it was seconded by 51st Division Corporator Bhandari Venu.
Senior BJP corporators Choppari Jayashree and Vasala Ramesh, along with all BJP corporators, unanimously approved the names of Kolagani Srinivas and Sunil Rao as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor candidates, and the approval was greeted with applause.
Thereafter, all the corporators proceeded directly in a special bus to the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation office, where they took the oath of office.
In fact, all BC (Backwards Class) corporators had aspired to the Karimnagar Mayor's post. In this regard, the district leadership forwarded the names and biodata of BC corporators who won in both the BC and General categories to the state leadership. Each name on the list was carefully examined, taking into account their service to the party and their public image.
After thorough scrutiny, the high command finalised the name of Kolagani Srinivas, a grassroots worker who began his political journey with ABVP and steadily rose through hard work and dedication.
Kolagani Srinivas had never imagined that he would be chosen as the Mayor candidate. During the BJP corporators' meeting this morning, when District In-charge Gangidi Manohar Reddy announced that the state leadership had finalised Kolagani's name for the Mayor's post, he was completely taken by surprise.
Even as fellow corporators congratulated him, Kolagani expressed his gratitude with visible emotion--his eyes filled with joy and disbelief. He extended special thanks to Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National President Nitin Nabin, and State President N. Ramachandra Rao, and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
He said he had never even dreamed that a common party worker like him would be selected as Mayor. He added that he himself stands as proof that in the BJP, if one works hard and remains committed, positions come naturally.
Thirty-seven-year-old Kolagani Srinivas was born in June 1989 in Theegalaguttapalli, Karimnagar district. He holds an MBA and an MSW degree. From a young age, he actively participated in RSS shakhas and completed his primary training in 2013, the release noted.
Influenced by the ideals of Swami Vivekananda since childhood, he has been actively involved in several service activities through organisations such as NSS, NYP, and Ekta Parishad.
He developed an interest in politics during his student days. Between 2005 and 2007, he worked with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and fought for student issues. From 2007 to 2009, he served in the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), actively participating in youth movements. During the same period (2007-2009), he worked as an NSS volunteer and received the Best Volunteer Award from Kakatiya University in 2010.
Driven by a desire to dedicate himself to national service, Kolagani joined the National Youth Project and attended the National Integration and Peace Camp held in Assam in 2009.
He also participated in several national-level camps conducted in Lakshadweep, Bengaluru, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. He has been actively involved in youth and child development programs and in environmental protection. So far, he has donated blood 15 times.
From 2009 to 2013, he participated in Ekta Parishad activities and advocated for the rights of tribal communities. In recognition of his services, he received the Bhai Ji Seva Puraskar (NYP) in 2005, the NSS Best Volunteer Award in 2010, and the "Rakshak Award" in 2021 from Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking at his political journey, he served as the BJP Mandal General Secretary from 2014 to 2019. From 2020 to 2025, he served as a Corporator for the 1st Division of the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation. In 2021, he served as the District Convener for the COVID-19 vaccination drive. From 2023 to 2024, he was the Karimnagar Town-1 Convener.
In 2024, he served as the State General Secretary of NIFFA, and in 2025, he oversaw the Choppadandi Mandal Sarpanch elections. In the recent elections, he was elected as the 2nd Division Corporator of the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, as per the release.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar expressed his happiness over the finalisation of Kolagani Srinivas as the BJP's candidate for the Karimnagar Mayor post. He extended his gratitude to State BJP President N. Ramachandra Rao for the decision. He also stated that the state leadership's support and legal assistance during the municipal elections were invaluable. (ANI)