Kakinada: The candidates for mayor and deputy mayor posts will be revealed on Saturday immediately after swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected corporators takes place. The ruling Telugu Desam has announced that the mayor post will be given to a Kapu woman candidate.
Kakinada urban MLA and rural MLAs Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao (Kondababu) and Pilli Anantha Lakshmi respectively want deputy mayor post to be given to a person belonging to Backward Classes.
According to sources, four women candidates out of six elected Kapu women candidates are aspiring for the post. They are making efforts so that the TD top-brass will favour them.
TD city president Sunkara Tirumala Kumar's wife S.Pavani, S. Siva Prasanna, Adduri Lakshmi Prasanna and Makineedi Seshukumari are in fray for the top post. Ms Pavani has a strong political background and many of the MLAs in upland area are her relatives. Her husband Tirumula Kumar was the city party president for three consecutive times.
Ms Prasanna also has huge political background in Krishna, East and West Godavari districts. Her husband S. Vidya Sagar is a loyalist to finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and Deputy CM Nimmakayala China Rajappa.
However, MLA Rao is supporting Ms Lakshmi Srinivas, an advocate. He openly referred her as mayor in many public meetings. Makineedi Seshu Kumar pinned her hopes on TD high command. She feels that her stint as publicity secretary of Telugu Mahila and her rapport with TD president N. Chandrababu Naidu will fetch her coveted post in the city. TD sources said that the party high command is considering education, leadership qualities while making the selection.
Sunkara Siva Prasanna likely to get Mayor post
The newly-elected corporator Sunkara Siva Prasanna is likely to bag mayor post and Chavvakula Rambabu is likely to be given deputy mayor post. According to TD sources, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held discussions for choosing the candidates for these two posts on Friday with finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, civil supplies minister Prathipati Pulla Rao.
