The YSR Congress Party made a clean sweep in the municipal elections held in Vizianagaram, Bobbili, Parvatipuram, Saluru and Nellimarla nagar panchayats.
Except for Bobbili, the TDP could not even give a fight as the candidates fielded by the ruling party won with good majority. In Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation, the results came as a shock for the TDP as it could win only one of the total 50 wards. The YSRCP candidates emerged victorious in 48 wards, while TDP candidate Karrothu Radhamani won the 49th ward. An independent canidate bagged one ward. Vizianagaram district had been as considered a bastion for the TDP till 2019 general elections.
YSRCP Vizianagaram MLA K.Veerabhadra Swamy’s daughter Kolagatla Sravani was elected from the 29th ward with a comfortable majority. She got 1,309 votes in her favour while her nearest rival and TDP candidate Chigurupati Rajani could get only 523 votes. TDP mayor candidate Kandi Samantaka Mani was also defeated by YSRCP candidate Bavireddy Satish in the 22nd ward with a margin of 210 votes. In Bobbili municipality, the YSRCP won 19 of the total 31 wards. The TDP which gave a tough fight won 11 wards while an independent candidate won one ward.
The YSRCP candidates bagged 22 of the total 30 wards in Parvatipuram. The TDP candidates won five wards while independent candidates bagged the remaining three seats.
In Saluru, the YSRCP won 20 wards of the total 29, while the TDP bagged five and the Congress candidates emerged victorious in one ward. Independent candidates won the remaining three seats. The YSRCP is also all set to bag the chairman’s post in Nellimarla nagar panchayat as the party candidates won 11 out of the 20 wards. The TDP got seven and the independents got two wards.
‘Welfare schemes did the trick’
Expressing happiness over the poll results in the district, YSRCP MLA Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy gave the credit to the popularity of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
“The flagship welfare programmes launched by the YSRCP government have won the hearts of the people, which made the party win a majority of seats in the Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation and in the other municipalities in the district,” he said.
Bobbili YSRCP MLA Sambangi Venkata China Appala Naidu said that the election had consolidated the vote bank for the party in urban areas. “People have reposed faith in the good governance of Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy. All the winners should try to meet the expectations of the people and ensure development in their respective wards,” said Mr. Appala Naidu.
