Kakinada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will have the final say in choosing a candidate for Kakinada Municipal Corporation's mayor post. There are four aspirants in Telugu Desam for the post.
There is no consensus among ministers Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and Kakinada MLA Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao in finalising the candidate.
Political circles were rife with rumours that the CM has given a free hand to the local MLA to finalise a candidate for the top job in the municipal corporation. However, TD circles denied the speculation and said that Mr Naidu will finalise the candidate after consulting the ministers and local MLAs. Mr Chinarajappa already announced that the Mayor post will be given to general women category, belonging to Kapu community. According to his announcement, four corporators-elect - Sunkara Siva Prasanna, Sunkara Pavani, A. Lakshmi Srinivas and Makineedi Seshu Kumari are in the fray for the post.
All four aspirants have sound political background. Siva Prasanna, an MBA graduate, is a close relative of TD leaders B.Veda Vyas, Narasapuram MLA Bandaru Madhava Naidu and Kakinada MP Thota Venkata Narasimham.
According to sources, TD Kapu leaders have recommended her candidature for the post to TD high command. Another corporator-elect S. Pavani has strong support from her husband and TD city president Sunkara Tirumala Kumar.
She is also a relative of Prathipadu MLA Varupula Subba Rao and Jaggampet MLA Jyothula Venkata Appa Rao, and Kakinada MP Thota Venkata Narasimham.
Another candidate, A. Varalakshmi, a practicing advocate, is a very active member in the TD women's wing. MLA Rao is strongly supporting her candidature.
She expressed that she would get the post as late Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi, present finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and former TD leader and former Rajya Sabha member Vanga Geetha were also from legal profession.
TD women's wing leader Makineedi Seshukumari is also one of the aspirant candidates for the post. She is confident of the party high command for choosing her for Mayor post.
Meanwhile, Kakinada (rural) MLA Pilli Anantha Lakshmi wants Deputy Mayor post to a candidate belonging to the wards falling under Kakinada rural limits.
The party sources said that she was referred to the second ward corporator Kala Sathibabu for her promotion as deputy mayor.
