With the high-pitched campaign for the GVMC polls coming to a close on Monday evening, the stage is now set for the polls on Wednesday (March 10).
One factor that may upset the prospect of a few candidates, especially from the two major contesting political parties, the TDP and the YSR Congress Party, is the rebel factor. For the 98 wards spread across eight zones of the GVMC, 567 nominations were filed. YSRCP is the only party that had put up a candidate in all the 98 wards, followed by the TDP in 94, BJP in 44, Jana Sena Party in 51, CPI (M) in 19, CPI in 6, BSP in 9 and INC in 67.
But the worrying factor for the major political parties is the candidates who have filed independently. Of the 567, the independent candidates are around 178, which is said to be a huge chunk. Most of them were once part of the YSRCP or the TDP and since they were not given the B-Forms, have filed nominations as independents. In March, last year, when the urban local body (ULB) elections were called off due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, 342 from the YSRCP and 381 from the TDP had filed the nominations. Many have subsequently withdrawn, but some have decided to fight it out alone, as independents, and many enjoy a good clout in their wards.
‘35% increase in voters’
This could be an upsetting factor, as local leaders call the shots and are directly in touch with the mandate on a daily basis, said a senior YSRCP leader.
The TDP leaders also shared a similar concern. There has been a significant increase in the total number of voters from 2007, when the last corporation elections were held.
While there were 11,37,331 voters in 2007, the number for this election has gone up to 17,53,927, which includes 8,80,481 women, 8,73,320 men and 126 others.The increase is substantial and it is around 35%, said a senior officer from the GVMC.
The increase is attributed to influx from different parts of the country, especially in the PSUs, and they hold the key in some of the wards. Many of them are unaware of local politics and national parties like the BJP are hoping to cash on it.
Voter turnout
The voter turnout in Visakhapatnam city and in the district have traditionally been low. In the last two general and Assembly elections in 2014 and 2019, the entire district average was below 68% and in the city it was even lower. Most of the Opposition parties, including the TDP and the BJP-JSP combine, are putting their bets on a higher turnout, as they feel that it could turn the tide in their favour.
In ULB elections, a lot depends on bringing the educated middle class and upper middle class to the polling stations, as they are not influenced by any external factors and they could hold the key to fortune for many political parties, said D.V.R. Murthy, head, the Journalism Department, Andhra University.
