VIJAYAWADA: Proving that it is committed to the empowerment of women and uplift of downtrodden sections, the ruling YSRC has given a lion’s share to them in mayoral and municipal chairperson posts in the newly elected urban local bodies. It nominated BCs and women for civic chief posts of several general category seats.
Of the total 86 mayoral and municipal chairperson posts, 40 were given to BCs, providing them 46.51 per cent share. Similarly, 12 civic chief posts went to Muslim minorities, enabling them to get 13.95 per cent share. “In all, we have given 60.46 per cent representation to BCs and Muslims in the total 86 posts,’’ YSRC general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said.
As many as, 67 posts were given to SCs, STs, BCs and minorities, making their total share 78 per cent. Similarly, 52 women were given mayoral and municipal chairperson posts, providing them 60.47 per cent share. This is a history of a kind in the entire country where majority of the mayoral and municipal chairperson posts were given to women, BCs, SCs, STs and Muslims, he said.
“It is the firm belief of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy that people from these sections, who constitute majority of the population of the State, should have political empowerment too. If people from these sections are given power, they will take the social welfare schemes effectively to the targeted sections,’’ he said, adding that once again Jagan has proved that he considers BCs as backbone classes and not as backward classes.
Meanwhile, the choice of candidates for the civic chief posts came as a surprise for YSRC leaders at several places. In Vijayawada, the late night announcement of R Bhagya Lakshmi as a mayoral candidate came as a shock to the aspirants who were hoping that they might get the coveted post. She was nowhere in the picture till then, but her selection left the frontrunner for the post B Punyaseela
seething. She abstained from the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday as a mark of protest.
In Visakhapatnam, the candidature of Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari for the mayoral post, came as a rude shock to YSRC city president Ch Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav, who was reportedly assured of the coveted post before elections. Instead of Vamsi Krishna, the party chose Venkata Kumari, who also hails from Yadava community, for the post. An agitated Vamsi Krishna said he would take a decision on his future course of action after meeting Jagan. He threatened to quit the party post and also as a corporator. Except for the mayoral posts of Kurnool and Kadapa, the choice of candidates was quite unexpected. In Anantapur, MLA Anantha Venkatarami Reddy reportedly got the mayoral post given to Mohammed Wasim Salim.
Know your mayor
Vijayawada - R Bhagya Lakshmi
Machilipatnam - M Venkateswaramma
Guntur - Kavati Manohar Naidu
Tirupati - Dr R Sirisha Yadav
Chittoor - S Amuda
Kadapa - K Suresh Babu
Kurnool - BY Ramaiah
Anantapur - Mohammed Wasim Salim
Ongole - G Sujatha
Visakhapatnam - Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari
Vizianagaram - Vempadapu Vijaya Lakshmi
Veggie vendor turns civic chief
Kadapa: It took just a few weeks for Shaik Fayaz Basha to become chairperson of Rayachoti from a vegetable vendor. “It is an unbelievable journey. I thank CM Jagan for giving someone like me the opportunity to be the Rayachoti civic chief,” said Basha with joy
TDP wins Tadipatri
Anantapur: End-ing the four-day drama, former MLA JC Prabhakar Reddy was elected chairman of Tadipatri. “Hats off to (CM) Jagan. He would have wrested the seat, if he wanted, but he did not,’’ said Prabhakar Reddy
Model Code of Conduct lifted in urban areas
Vijayawada: State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar issued orders lifting the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in urban areas as the poll process was completed on Thursday following the election of mayors in municipal corporations and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons in municipalities. The MCC in urban local bodies came into force on February 15 after the SEC issued notifications for elections to 12 corporations and 75 municipalities/nagar panchayats.