Civic Polls: TD Alliance, YSRC Fighting Fit In Nellore
Vemireddy, Kotamreddy, Narayana lead alliance campaign; Anam, Kakani, Chandrasekhar Reddy spearhead YSRC drive: Reports
NELLORE: The Nellore Municipal Corporation election has entered a high-voltage phase, with the TD-led alliance and YSR Congress deploying senior leaders and grassroots cadres to canvass intensively for their mayor nominees and corporator candidates for the November 1 polling.
With limited time for door-to-door campaigning, the mood is whipped up through roadshows, neighbourhood meetings and Atmeeya Samavesams (interaction meetings) in apartment complexes, which help parties and candidates spread their messages to voters.
Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, TDP state spokesperson Kotamreddy Giridhar Reddy and municipal administration minister P Narayana are spearheading the alliance campaign.
The alliance has fielded former deputy mayor and prominent BC leader P Roopkumar Yadav for the Mayor’s post.
Vemireddy and the Kotamreddy brothers are canvassing across rural divisions, while Narayana and his daughters, Sharani and Sindhura are campaigning in the city segment.
They have been highlighting improvements in schools, parks, roads and drainage, urging residents to support alliance nominees for continued development. The BJP and Jana Sena are also actively campaigning for alliance candidates.
The YSR Congress has mounted an equally vigorous counter-campaign, with mayor nominee Anam Vijayakumar Reddy, MLC Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy and district president Kakani Govardhan Reddy leading the roadshows across the city and rural segments.
Chandrasekhar Reddy has been criticising the alliance government over alleged neglect of civic issues, increase in property taxes and irregularities in development works. The YSR Congress is also claiming credit for projects initiated during its tenure and highlighting the Naidu-led alliance’s unfulfilled promises.
Both camps are focusing on minority voters, women and youth through community meetings and other targeted outreach programmes.
The corporation has 72 divisions, equally split between the Nellore City and Rural assembly constituencies, with nearly 4.5 lakh voters. Of the 35 nominations filed for mayor, 33 were declared valid. For corporator posts, 538 of 663 nominations survived scrutiny.
With the polling date approaching, the contest is shaping up as a crucial political test for both sides.