VIJAYAWADA: Political churn has intensified in Vijayawada following the announcement of former Vijayawada East MLA Vangaveeti Radhakrishna as the Jana Sena candidate for mayor post, putting the NDA’s unity and the Telugu Desam Party’s willingness to rally behind a JSP symbol to the test.
Radha, who was selected as the NDA candidate after the alliance’s seat-sharing arrangement allotted the mayoral post to the JSP, filed his nomination on Sunday amid a large gathering of supporters from the three alliance parties.
The development assumes significance as Radha, who had been associated with the TDP since 2019, joined the JSP only recently in the presence of party president and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.
The decision to allot the mayor post to the JSP has reportedly disappointed some sections of the TDP who had been preparing for the civic elections with hopes of securing the post. Several aspirants had built their networks in anticipation of an opportunity to contest for the coveted post.
Vijayawada mayoral race tests NDA unity at grassroots
Meanwhile, Radha’s candidature has brought the alliance’s ground-level coordination, reported differences over division-level seat sharing and the city’s Kamma-Kapu political equation into focus. With sections of the TDP cadre reportedly disappointed over the mayoral post going to the JSP, the key question is whether the alliance can overcome local-level differences, whether the leadership’s decision will translate into wholehearted support at the grassroots, and ensure a coordinated campaign, even as rebel candidates and former DGP AB Venkateswara Rao’s entry as an independent add further complexity to the contest.
Kamma-Kapu equation
The mayoral contest has brought Vijayawada’s caste equations into sharper focus. The Kamma community has traditionally been an important support base for the TDP, and several aspirants from the community were reportedly interested in securing the mayoral nomination. Radha, meanwhile, is associated with the Kapu community through the political legacy of his father, the late Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga, a prominent figure in Vijayawada politics.
The entry of former DGP Rao who served as Vijayawada Police Commissioner, as an independent candidate has added another dimension to the contest. He filed his nomination with the support of parties in the INDIA bloc, including the Congress, CPI and CPM, according to political sources.
Rao belongs to the Kamma community, and is understood to have social and professional networks among sections of the community in Vijayawada and beyond. His candidature has drawn attention to the possible interplay between community affiliations, individual networks and party loyalties.
Direct election
The Vijayawada mayoral contest is also different this time, with the direct election system requiring the mayoral candidate to seek a citywide mandate rather than rely solely on support of elected corporators. Voters will also elect their respective division corporators. Vijayawada has 86 divisions and a total electorate of 8,05,797. The size of the electorate underlines the importance of city-wide mobilisation and coordination among alliance partners in a direct mayoral contest. This has made the transfer of votes within the NDA has consequently become a key point of interest, particularly whether the TDP’s grassroots machinery will work effectively for a JSP candidate.
JSP keen on Vijayawada
The JSP’s interest in the mayor post had reportedly surfaced months before the seat-sharing arrangement was finalised. JSP Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar and NTR district president Samineni Udaya Bhanu held a review meeting with leaders and cadres from all 64 divisions in July to discuss preparations for the local body elections and gather suggestions.
The YSRCP, meanwhile, has fielded former mayor Rayana Bhagya Lakshmi, a BC, as its candidate. The party has reportedly directed its three Assembly constituency in-charges to support her campaign.
The choice has drawn attention amid speculation over whether the party would select a candidate from one of the city’s dominant communities.
