Hyderabad, February 13 A transgender person emerged as a surprise winner in the Telangana municipal elections on Friday.
Nagilla Sudhakar, also known as Kaveri, won as a councillor from Ward No 1 in the Chityala municipality in the Nalgonda district, contesting as an independent without the support of any major political party.
Despite ridicule from some quarters during the campaign, Sudhakar secured a majority of 101 votes.
"I am overjoyed. I am very, very happy that the residents of our town have placed their trust in me. I will be eternally grateful to them and will do my best to address their concerns," Sudhakar told reporters.
The newly-elected councillor said her motivation for contesting the elections was to serve the community on a larger scale.
Sudhakar also expressed hope that the new role would provide an opportunity to advocate for the rights and concerns of transgender people.
The municipal elections were held on February 11 across 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations in Telangana, with vote counting taking place earlier in the day.