The Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led alliance in Andhra Pradesh has secured two key mayoral posts in the important cities of Visakhapatnam and Guntur by systematically attracting members from the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
In Guntur, TDP candidate Kovelamudi Ravindra was elected Mayor on Monday. Ravindra secured 34 votes, while the YSRCP candidate, Achala Venkata Reddy, received 27 votes. Election officer Bhargav Tej announced Ravindra’s victory.
The election was necessitated following the resignation of the sitting mayor, Kaveti Manohar Naidu of the YSR Congress Party, reportedly under pressure from the ruling alliance. By successfully persuading some YSRCP members to switch sides, the TDP managed to claim the seat.
In the recently held standing committee elections, 37 members (including ex-officio members) voted in favor of the alliance candidates, paving the way for an easy win in the mayoral election.
Meanwhile, in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Peela Srinivasa Rao was unanimously elected as Mayor. Joint Collector Mayur Ashok handed over the certificate of election to Srinivasa Rao.
Jana Sena MLA Vamsikrishna Srinivas Yadav proposed Rao’s name, which was seconded by BJP MLA Vishnukumar Raju.
Earlier, on January 19, a no-confidence motion against Hari Venkata Kumari, the YSRCP-affiliated Mayor of Visakhapatnam, succeeded, leading to her removal from office.
Out of 97 corporators in the GVMC, with one (Vamsikrishna) now serving as an MLA, there are currently 96 corporators.
The TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance controls 63 corporators, and with the support of 11 ex-officio members (MPs, MLAs, and MLCs), the alliance's strength stands at 74 — ensuring Srinivasa Rao’s election as Mayor.
The alliance is also poised to secure victories in Palakonda Municipality and Tuni Municipal Council, with elections in both places expected to be one-sided affairs.
In Palakonda, following the resignation of YSRCP Chairperson Radhakumari, two previously scheduled elections were postponed. This time, the elections are being conducted regardless of quorum issues, and A. Malleshwari is expected to be elected as Chairperson from the alliance.
In Tuni, N. Bhuvanasundari and A. Suresh have been finalized as the alliance’s candidates for the Chairperson and Vice-Chairman posts, respectively. Of the 30 wards in Tuni, 17 YSRCP members have crossed over to the alliance.
Vice-Chairman elections in Tuni were earlier postponed twice due to a lack of quorum. After YSRCP’s Y. Sudharani resigned from the Chairperson position, fresh elections for both Chairperson and Vice-Chairman posts were scheduled and conducted on Monday.
Meanwhile, in Kuppam, a contest is underway between the alliance and the YSRCP for the Chairperson seat. Elections are also being held for three Vice-Chairman posts in the Macherla and Tadipatri municipalities.
