Father-in-Law Flies in from the U.S., One Vote Secures Daughter-in-Law’s Panchayat Victory

Hyderabad: In a remarkable demonstration of the power of a single vote, Mutyala Srideva has been elected Sarpanch of Bagapur Gram Panchayat in Telangana’s Nirmal district by just one vote. What makes this victory even more extraordinary is that her father-in-law, Mutyala Indrakaran Reddy, flew in from the United States specifically to cast his vote in her favor.

A Vote That Turned into a Blessing
The village-level election became the talk of the district after it emerged that Srideva’s father-in-law’s vote proved decisive. With a total of 426 eligible voters and 378 votes cast, Srideva secured 189 votes, narrowly defeating her rival Harshaswati, who received 188 votes, while one vote was declared invalid.

Flying in from His Ancestral Village
Indrakaran Reddy, a former Sarpanch himself, traveled four days prior to the elections to his ancestral village in Telangana to support his daughter-in-law. His presence not only symbolized family support but effectively became the “blessing” that ensured Srideva’s triumph. Remarkably, the family has a history of public service, with Reddy’s niece having served as Sarpanch in 2013.

One Vote, Big Impact
Residents are hailing this narrow victory as a testament to the value of every single vote. In a democracy, sometimes it’s just one vote that can change history—and in this case, it came all the way from the United States.

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