TDP inches towards achieving consensus on Nellore Mayor seat

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) appears hopeful of reaching a consensus on its Mayoral candidate for Nellore Municipal Corporation (NMC), with the party’s senior leaders holding parleys with the aspirants.

The mood in the TDP camp was boisterous even before the announcement of the reservation for the post. Former Deputy Mayor P. Roop Kumar Yadav, who reportedly enjoys the support of Minister for Municipal Administration Ponguru Narayana and Member of Parliament Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, was not only hoping the seat would be reserved for the Backwards Classes (OBC), but also confident of getting the ticket.

After the seat turned out to be ‘unreserved’, a fresh ray of hope apparently emerged in the leaders who had earlier written off the seat.

Notably, Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, who wields control in half of the 72 municipal corporation divisions that fall in his Assembly constituency, was initially expected to demand the Mayor seat for his family member.

However, as an aspirant for the cabinet berth in the forthcoming reshuffle, the three-time MLA showed no interest in the local body polls, making the other aspirants heave a sigh of relief.

Mr. Narayana, as well as the TDP district President Beeda Ravichandra, personally met Mr. Sridhar Reddy to be ‘doubly sure’ ahead of announcing a consensus candidate. The party is conducting an ‘IVRS poll’ to elicit the citizens’ opinion before zeroing in on the right candidate.

YSRCP firmly in the saddle

On the other hand, the rival YSR Congress Party has already announced the name of Anam Vijayakumar Reddy, the party’s Nellore Rural constituency in-charge, who is firmly ensconced in the saddle. It may be recalled that his wife, Anam Arunamma, is the outgoing Nellore Zilla Parishat Chairperson.

Led by the district President Kakani Govardhan Reddy and MLC Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy, the YSRCP is already surging ahead in campaign, as the Nellore party office appears brimming with flag-bearing cadres. Mr. Govardhan Reddy held hectic parleys with former MP Adala Prabhakar Reddy on Friday to finalise the candidates.