Kakinada, Nov 19th: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Corporators, led by Floor Leader Malladi Gangadharam, on Thursday squatted in front of the podium during the Kakinada Municipal Council Emergency Meeting, demanding constitution of a standing committee. Despite repeated requests of other members and city Mayor Kavikondala Saroja, they did not budge, but insisted on a clear assurance on holding early election to the standing committee.

''Constitution of a standing committee is statutory and taking unilateral decisions ignoring the Corporators is against the provisions of the act and democratic principles. For the past six months, the corporation is functioning without the statutory standing committee and its constitution is being dodged under some pretext or the other. Now it is time that the statutory body is restored,'' they demanded. Lone CPM Member Gollamudi Nageswera Rao intervened and requested the Mayor to assure the agitated members that she would hold the council meeting every month till the standing committee was constituted.

However, the Mayor maintained that convening of Council meeting was the sole right of the Mayor and the members could not dictate on when to convene the meetings. After persuasion by other members, the Mayor directed the Commissioner to issue notice for conducting elections to the standing committee without further delay in accordance with the rules. Satisfied by the Mayor's assurance, the TDP members called off their sit-in stir.