Nellore Mayor race heats up ahead of local body polls

Ahead of the ensuing local body elections, all eyes are on the mayoral candidate in Nellore, with both the TDP and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaving no stone unturned to secure the prestigious post.

The Nellore Municipal Corporation (NMC) has now been expanded to 72 divisions from the 54 divisions in the previous elections, providing scope for more aspirants to enter the fray on both sides.

The city is spread across the Nellore City and Nellore Rural Assembly constituencies, represented by Municipal Administration Minister Ponguru Narayana and three-time MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy respectively. Both leaders are working to secure as many divisions as possible for their respective parties, besides staking claim to the Mayor’s post.

The TDP is learnt to be keen on naming Deputy Mayor P. Roop Kumar Yadav as its mayoral candidate. Though the post is likely to be reserved for the Open Category, the TDP is considering a BC candidate in an apparent bid to consolidate support among BC voters.

On the other hand, the YSRCP is considering at least three names, including former Seva Dal president M. Sudheer Kumar Reddy, former Congress MLA Anam Vivekananda Reddy’s son A.C. Subba Reddy and political newcomer Radha Madhavi.

Mr. Sudheer entered the political arena in 2004 and held various positions in the Congress, including president of the Nellore District Youth Congress and the Andhra Pradesh Seva Dal.

He is understood to have maintained close access to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy during the formative years of the YSRCP, particularly during Mr. Jagan’s ‘Odarpu Yatra’. He is also learnt to have the backing of the politically influential Mekapati family.

A.C. Subba Reddy, a member of the influential Anam family, contested the 2014 elections from the Nellore Assembly constituency on a Congress ticket. He was defeated amid the strong anti-Congress sentiment in the aftermath of the bifurcation of the State.

Dr. Radha Madhavi, a leading medical professional, is also learnt to have expressed interest in the mayoral post.

The YSRCP leadership, however, has not officially confirmed any of the names and is awaiting directions from the party’s top leadership. YSRCP district president and former Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy has been stressing party loyalty as a key consideration in choosing the “right candidate”.

Adopting a wait-and-watch approach, the YSRCP is expecting the TDP-led NDA to reveal its candidate first.