Nellore bucks Rayalaseema trend, braces for close mayoral contest

Tirupati: In contrast to several municipalities across Rayalaseema, where civic polls are heading towards ‘unanimous’ outcomes amid YSRCP allegations that the ruling TDP is preventing its candidates from filing nominations, Nellore is poised for a keenly contested mayoral election, with both parties fielding candidates and mobilising their political heavyweights. As many as 35 nominations have been filed for the mayor’s post and 663 for the 72 municipal divisions, though some were rejected during scrutiny.

Nellore Municipal Corporation, which spans Nellore City and Nellore Rural assembly constituencies and has an electorate of around 4.5 lakh, is set for a direct political battle between former deputy mayor P Roop Kumar Yadav of the TDP and Anam Vijaya Kumar Reddy of the YSRCP. Municipal administration minister Ponguru Narayana, Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, Kovur MLA Vemireddy Prashanti Reddy and three-time Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy are among the TDP heavyweights campaigning for Yadav.

A prominent BC leader, Yadav is banking on the community’s sizeable vote share, estimated at around 35%, along with support from the influential Reddy community, to secure his first electoral victory as mayor. Speaking to TOI, Yadav said voters would back the TDP to sustain Nellore’s development, pointing to civic infrastructure projects taken up over the past two-and-a-half years since the TDP-led NDA alliance came to power.

His YSRCP rival, Vijaya Kumar, belongs to the family of former minister AC Subba Reddy, one of the influential political families in Nellore. His wife, Anam Arunamma, is the outgoing Nellore Zilla Parishad chairperson, having assumed office in Sept 2021 under the previous YSRCP govt and completing her full tenure.

YSRCP district president and former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy and party MLC Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy are spearheading the campaign for Vijaya Kumar. The party is seeking to consolidate Reddy community votes while capitalising on local grievances to mount a strong challenge to the TDP.

Govardhan Reddy said anti-incumbency against the TDP govt, discontent among ruling party cadres and defections from the TDP to the YSRCP could work in his party’s favour. He also cited alleged corruption in civic works undertaken in Nellore over the past two-and-a-half years and the non-fulfilment of poll promises as issues that could dent the TDP’s prospects.

With senior leaders from both camps throwing their weight behind the candidates, the Nellore mayoral contest is shaping up as a crucial test of the TDP’s local governance pitch against the YSRCP’s bid to turn public discontent into electoral gains. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Vijayawada | Silver Rate in Vijayawada | Bank Holidays in Vijayawada | Public Holidays in Vijayawada | Petrol Price in Vijayawada | Diesel Price in Vijayawada | CNG Price in Vijayawada | LPG Price in Vijayawada Stay updated with the latest Vijayawada news.