TDP wins mayoral posts, takes control of urban governance

VIJAYAWADA: In a major political triumph, the NDA has secured key mayoral and municipal chairperson posts in the State, further tightening its hold over urban governance.

In Visakhapatnam, Pila Srinivasa Rao of TDP, supported by the NDA, was elected Mayor of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC). The election, chaired by Joint Collector Mayur Ashok, saw participation from 73 corporators and ex-officio members. Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsi Krishna Yadav proposed Rao’s name, with North MLA P Vishnu Kumar Raju backing the nomination.

TDP’s Kovelamudi Ravindra Babu (Nani) clinched the Mayoral post of the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC), defeating YSRCP’s Achala Venkata Reddy by a margin of seven votes (34–27). The closely contested election was overseen by Bhargav Teja, with Union Minister Pemmasani Chandrasekhar and senior leaders attending.

A key highlight was TDP’s win in Kuppam municipality, a bastion of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. TDP candidate V Selvaraj secured the chairman post with 15 votes against YSRCP’s nine. Jubilant celebrations followed, with MLCs Kancharla Srikanth and KRJ Bharath terming it a reflection of public trust.

The NDA continued its winning run elsewhere too. In Tuni municipality, Narla Bhuvana Sundari and Achanta Suresh of TDP were elected unopposed as chairperson and vice-chairman after YSRCP councillors boycotted the election. Tuni MLA Yanamala Divya welcomed the transition.

In Macherla municipality in Palnadu district, TDP’s Shaik Madar Saheb won the vice-chairman post with 23 votes. In Palakonda Nagar Panchayat in Parvathipuram Manyam district, Akula Malleswari, a recent defector from YSRCP, was elected as chairperson unopposed. These victories come as a major boost to the NDA ahead of upcoming local body elections, reinforcing its urban political base across the State.