Chittoor civic polls: race begins for plum posts

TDP steps up campaigning, but ambiguity over YSRC and Congress candidates

With only a few days left for the municipal polls here, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) cadres have stepped up their campaign, while the YSR Congress is facing a dilemma with non-availability of candidates in several wards, followed by ambiguity over the stand of former Congress MLA C.K. Babu, whether he would continue in the Congress or come out to steer the corporation polls independently.

Chittoor Municipal Corporation carved out one-and-half years ago with over 1.25 lakh voters is reserved for the BC (Women) category.

YSR Congress district leader Peddireddi Mithun Reddy told The Hindu that he and his father and former minister P. Ramachandra Reddy are thoroughly monitoring the trends in the various municipalities and corporations the district.

Regarding Chittoor Corporation, the YSRC leader expressed confidence that their party would bag it, saying that the people were vexed with the current political atmosphere here.

“People are now vexed with rowdyism. After our family intervened in Chittoor political scene with Mr. Jagan’s tour, there is a lot of change in the public mindset. We gave complete freedom to local coordinator A.S. Manohar to select the candidates in the wards,” Mr. Reddy added.

The TDP district vice-president, Katari Mohan, said that he is fielding his wife Katari Anuradha, a former counsellor, to bag the Chittoor mayor post.

Door-to-door campaigns

He said the party cadres led by him had already completed door-to-door campaign in 40 wards out of the total 50.

He alleged that except the party’s district president Jangalapalle Srinivasulu, the entire cadre in the constituency in with him.

Mr. Mohan, who staked his claim for the Telugu Desam MLA ticket from Chittoor also clarified that he would not press for the same demand if his wife succeeds as the choice for the corporation mayor.

Interestingly, the local cadres of both TDP and YSRC admit that former MLA C.K. Babu holds a very strong base in almost all the divisions in Chittoor and the fact that the Congress party is in hibernation does not mean that Mr. Babu is silent.