In Andhra Pradesh, the alliance government has managed to capture major municipal chairperson seats in Kuppam, Guntur, and Macharla, which were under YSRCP earlier during the previous government. With the change of government, the mayors and municipal chairpersons in these places resigned or lost their seats with no-confidence motions, resulting in fresh polls that were conducted today. The alliance government has now captured these vital posts.
In Kuppam, led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP experienced a defection wave of YSRCP councilors during the election of the municipal chairman. Consequently, Selvraj, a fifth ward councilor, was elected as the new municipal chairman. With the votes of 14 out of the 24 council members, as well as support from an ex-officio member, the TDP took over the position without any hitches. This win came on the heels of four YSRCP councilors’ defection to the TDP.
The alliance also won the Guntur Municipal Corporation mayoral poll. The alliance polled 34 votes, against the YSRCP’s 27. Hence, TDP councilor Kovela Mudhi Ravindra was sworn in as the new mayor in place of former mayor Kavati Manohar Naidu, who resigned.
In Macherla, a local body in Palnadu district, the coalition won in the vice-chairman election. With 21 of the 31 councilors voting in favor, the TDP emerged victorious in taking the chairman’s seat. TDP-supported candidate, Sheik Madar Saheb, 27th ward councilor, will be the new chairman. This is a big defeat for the YSRCP, which had been dominating the chairperson’s seat in Macherla till now.
These recent wins for the coalition government signal a change in political dynamics since the opposition party YSRCP is struggling to hold onto crucial municipal posts.