: Decks have been cleared for holding election to the Guntur Municipal Corporation, six years after the term of elected body expired — in 2010.
Elections will now be held for the GMC along with 10 villages which were merged with the corporation in July 2012. The GMC Election Cell has already prepared draft electoral rolls and is gearing up to hold the elections after Krishna Pushkarams.
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The decision to hold the elections comes after the Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration, recently submitted before the High Court that the GMC is ready for the exercise.
The Municipal Administration Department has also submitted a detailed report on survey of the merged villages.
Major parties — Telugu Desam and YSR Congress — have started the exercise of identifying candidates for Mayorship for the GMC which is now in Capital region.
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Both the major parties have thrown hints that the post could be given to the Kapu community. The elections assume significance as the GMC is the third biggest corporation after the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.
According to GO MS No 279, Nallapadu, Pedapalakaluru, Ankireddypalem, Adavitakkelapadu, Gorantla, Reddypalem, Potturu, Chowdavaram, Etukuru, and Budampadu have been merged in GMC.
Revised details
In 2012, the gram panchayats of Pottur mandal, Obulnaidupalem, Ankireddypalem, Turakapalem in Pedapalakaluru approached the High Court challenging the GO stating that elections had already been held to their villages. The YSR Congress also challenged the GO on the ground that the GMC had not conducted proper verification of door numbers before issuing it and the High Court stayed the GO.
The GMC has sent revised details of merged villages along with the survey numbers to the Regional Director’s office and it would take another month for the delimitation of electoral divisions and another 15 days to identify reserved wards.
Draft rolls ready; process likely after Krishna Pushkarams