Electioneering has begun gathering momentum in Visakhapatnam following the announcement of October 28 as the local body elections polling date. With nominations scheduled to begin within a week, aspirants and political parties have stepped up preparations, focusing on candidate selection, coordination among cadre and ward-level campaign strategies.
Soon after the election schedule was announced the Model Code of Conduct came into force on Wednesday, NDA alliance leaders convened a meeting at the TDP office in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday night to discuss preparations for the polls. The meeting assumes significance as the parties have a limited window to finalise candidates and mobilise their respective cadres ahead of polling.
Visakhapatnam TDP election coordinator Md. Shareef, Social Welfare Minister Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, MLAs Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, PGVR Naidu and Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, among other leaders, attended the meeting. They stressed the need for coordination among the alliance partners and called upon the cadre to work collectively to ensure effective poll management at the ward level.
At the grassroots level, former corporators have also begun holding meetings with party workers and supporters to assess the political situation in their respective wards and chalk out campaign strategies. With the nomination deadline approaching, aspirants are keenly awaiting clarity on the party nominees, with the candidate lists expected to be announced in the next couple of days.
Party leaders are also planning an intensive campaign schedule, with ward-level programmes and outreach activities expected to gather pace in the run-up to polling.
Meanwhile, leaders of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) have also held discussions with prospective candidates and party functionaries to review their preparedness. The recent meeting with party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is understood to have provided greater clarity to the local leadership on the party’s approach to the elections.
The GVMC has 120 wards, up from the earlier 98, expanding the electoral contest across the city. The corporation has approximately 18.4 lakh voters, making the elections a significant political test for the parties in the city.
Gajuwaka Assembly constituency, which accounts for 19 wards, has the highest voter strength in the corporation, with around 2.98 lakh voters. It is followed by the North Assembly constituency, which has approximately 2.91 lakh voters.
According to the election arrangements, around 1,990 polling stations are to be set up across the corporation, with nearly 14,000 personnel expected to be deployed for election duties.
SC General – 17, 33,64, 74, 76
SC Women – 1, 32, 56, 57, 70
BC General – 2, 14, 15, 31, 34, 37, 48, 58, 60, 61, 62, 72, 73, 80, 83, 87, 90, 93, 102, 106, 113, 114, 116, 117, 120
BC Women – 4,5,7,9, 13, 16, 22, 23, 36, 38, 41, 42, 46, 47, 55, 59, 66, 78, 94, 107, 108, 109, 111
Unreserved/General – 6, 11, 18, 25, 26, 29, 30, 35, 45, 50, 54, 68, 69, 79, 86, 88, 91, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104, 115, 119
General Women – 3, 10, 12, 19, 20, 21, 24, 27, 28, 40, 43, 44, 49, 51, 52, 53, 61, 63, 65, 71, 75, 77, 82, 84, 85, 89, 92, 110, 112, 118
