Hyderabad: The Chief Minister and Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu, is considering holding elections in other municipal corporations, which were long pending.
With the upbeat mood generated by the results of the Nandyal byelection and the Kakinada Municipal Corporation elections, Mr Naidu is now planning to hold elections in Tirupati, Kurnool, Ongole, Visak-hapatnam, Guntur and Srikakulam municipal corporations.
The State Election Commission has already written to the state government to complete the process of delimitation of wards and reservations in these municipal corporations in order to hold the elections.
TD leaders say that the Nandyal byelection and the Kakinada Municipal Corporation elections have proved that there is a strong Reddy community present in the Rayalaseema area and that even Muslim minorities along with the Kapu community in the coastal area are rooting for their party.
In addition, they said that the BC community has always stood alongside the TD right from its inception. An IAS officer close to Mr Naidu said that he is contemplating holding elections in order to retain the municipal corporations.
Because of court cases, the elections were not held in these six municipal corporations. The TD leaders have stated that if these elections are held in these corporations, which cover all the areas of the state, it would give a big boost to the party in the next Assembly elections.
TD leaders said that after the Nandyal byelection, it has become easy to win the Kurnool Municipal Corporation.
The Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy has a strong hold on the Kurnool Municipal Corporation.
The Tirupati Municipal Corporation falls in the home district of Mr Naidu. Further, Vizag, Ongole, Guntur and Srikakulam municipal corporations all have strong TD leadership.
TD leaders have said that in these Municipal Corporation limits, YSRC has no strong cadre and the results of the Nandyal byelection and the Kakinada Municipal Corporation elections have demoralised the YSRC, whereas the TD cadre is in a jubilant mood.
TD leaders think once the elections are announced for these municipal corporations, local level YSRC cadres and their leaders may join their party.
Meanwhile, SEC officials have said that they are ready to hold elections for these municipal corporations. They said that they have written to the state government to complete the process of delimitation of wards and reservations at the earliest, in order to hold the elections.
