VIJAYAWADA: Women voters are likely to play a crucial role in the municipal elections to be conducted in Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Nandigama, Pedana, Nuzvid, Vuyyuru and Tiruvuru in Krishna district on March 10. In all, as many as 5,46,695 women voters are going to exercise their franchise in the civic polls in the ensuing civic polls.
Among the civic bodies in the district, Vijayawada has a total of 7.82 lakh voters, of which 3.95 lakh are women for 64 divisions followed by 67,914 in Machilipatnam (50 divisions) 20,878 in Nuzvid (32 divisions) 18,214 in Nandigama (20 divisions), 16,361 in Vuyyuru (20 divisions), 14, 256 in Tiruvuru (20 divisions) and 13,163 in Pedana (23 divisions) as per the 2011 population census. The state government has reserved mayor post for a woman (general) candidates in Vijayawada and Machilipatnam.
Taking this fact into consideration, all the political parties contesting the municipal elections have made promises to lure women voters. The ruling YSR Congress Party is backing on its welfare schemes such as Jaganna ‘Amma Vodi’, YSR Aasara Scheme, YSR Cheyutha and other welfare schemes. In 2014, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won the municipal corporation elections in Vijayawada. For the second time, the TDP along with CPI will be fighting the YSRCP with a strategy in highlighting the failures of ruling YSRC. On the other hand, the Janasena and Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) are also contesting the civic body polls banking on the failures of YSRC.
In particular to Vijayawada, the city is gearing up to elect its mayor for the fifth time after being upgraded to a municipal corporation in 1981. Of the total 64 wards in the city, 32 have been reserved for women and 19 for general candidates. However, the general category reservation may pose a challenge for the ruling party while selecting a candidate for the mayor post. Previously, Panchamarthi Anuradha- TDP (2000-05), Tadi Shakuntala- CPI (2005-06), Mallika Begum- INC (2006-08) and MV Ratna Bindu INC (2008-10) have served as Mayors of Vijayawada.
When it comes to Machilipatnam, the elections are being for the first time after it was upgraded as municipal corporation. In all, the city has 1,31,792 voters, of which 63,868 are men and 67,914 are women. In other municipalities, the mayor post is reserved for BC woman in Pedana, Tiruvuru (SC), Nandigama (Woman), Nuzvid (Woman) and Vuyyuru (General).
V’wada, Masula mayor posts for women
The State government has reserved mayor posts for women (general) candidates in Vijayawada and Machilipatnam. Taking this into consideration, all the political parties contesting the municipal elections have made promises to attract women voters