GVMC Elections: Major Setback for YSRCP Leaders as Former Corporators Face Defeats

The YSRCP has suffered a major setback in the latest Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections, with several former corporators and senior leaders losing their respective wards. Voters appear to have rejected many former representatives over their performance during the previous YSRCP-led municipal administration. Former Gajuwaka constituency YSRCP in-charge Urukuti Chandu contested from Ward 87 but lost to the TDP candidate by 292 votes. Former Deputy Mayor Jiyyani Sridhar, who had previously won as an independent and later as a YSRCP candidate from Ward 52, also suffered defeat in Ward 68, losing to the TDP candidate by 62 votes. His relative Satya, who contested from Ward 67, was also unsuccessful. Similarly, former Deputy Mayor Katumuri Satish's wife, Saraladevi, contested from Ward 56 on a YSRCP ticket but lost to TDP candidate Kollabattula Prasoon, daughter of former corporator Vengala Rao, who secured victory with a majority of 713 votes.

Former GVMC floor leader Banala Srinivas also faced defeat in the elections. He had earlier won from Ward 32 as a Congress candidate and later from Ward 44 on a YSRCP ticket. This time, he contested from Ward 54, which was reserved under the general category, but lost to BJP candidate Parasurama Raju by 1,026 votes. In the 2021 GVMC elections, YSRCP had won 58 of the 98 wards. Following the change in government, several corporators joined coalition parties, leaving 32 members with the YSRCP. Due to ward delimitation and changes in reservations, many former corporators were given opportunities to contest from different wards. However, the party managed to win only 13 wards in the latest elections, with just four former corporators among the winners, highlighting the setback faced by its previous municipal leadership.