YSR Congress will win hands down in GVMC standing committee polls, says Minister

‘There is no need for elections, but TDP is insisting on them’

All the 10 YSR Congress Party ward corporators, who have been identified to contest the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) standing committee elections scheduled for Tuesday, will win without any doubts, said Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao.

Addressing the media here on Monday, he said that the party performed extremely well in all the civic body elections, across the State and it won 47 out of 50 seats in the recently held elections in Eluru.

He said in the GVMC the YSRCP has won 61 wards, including three independents, who have pledged support to the party, and there is absolutely majority for the party. There was no need for an election, but the TDP has insisted on it, he said.

Senior party leader and former MP Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, who has come here as an observer, said that standing committee members play an important role in the functioning of the council and the civic body. “But in this there was no need for any elections, as the YSRCP has absolute majority. If Mr. Chandrababu Naidu is expecting a cross voting, then he has mistaken, as he will again suffer a humiliating defeat,” Mr. Venkateswarlu said.

It is better that Mr. Naidu asks his party leaders in the city to withdraw the proposal, as it might earn him some respect, said Mr. Venkateswarlu.

Earlier, lashing out at Mr. Naidu, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that construction of about 1.8 lakh houses for the poor is pending as the TDP national president has filed a case in the court.

The Minister said that Mr. Naidu was against all forms of development, be it the setting up of the Executive Capital in the city or development of houses or roads. “Mr. Naidu is creating stumbling blocks for all projects, by knocking on the doors of the courts,” he said.

The Tourism Minister alleged that Mr. Naidu always treated the women, BCs, SC and STs, as a vote bank and never cared for their development. But on the other hand, Mr. Jagan always cared for them and that is why the VMRDA chairperson and the Mayor are women and are from the backward segments, he added.