Women’s seats in Kadapa, Pulivendula draw leaders’ spouses, Jagan’s aunt into the fray

The posts of Kadapa Municipal Corporation Mayor and Pulivendula municipality Chairperson are reserved for Women (General), bringing women to the fore in these urban local bodies.

Considered the fortress of the Congress in the past and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) later, the two seats were held by YSR family loyalists in the past.

The YSRCP has fielded Y.S. Prameelamma, wife of Y.S. Manohar Reddy and aunt of former Chief Minister and Pulivendula MLA Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, as its candidate for Chairperson of Pulivendula.

The choice is considered a tested and safe bet for the YSRCP. The TDP-led alliance has criticised it, saying the family-based party could not look beyond traditional options to benefit loyalists.

The TDP has fielded Thugutla Geetha Kumari, spouse of party loyalist Thugutla Madhu.

The TDP is on a high after winning the Pulivendula ZPTC seat last year. Its candidate, Mareddy Latha Reddy, is the wife of party strongman B.Tech Ravi alias Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy. TDP MLC Bhumireddy Ramagopal Reddy, who also hails from Pulivendula, is keen on winning the seat too.

YSRCP MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy has begun campaigning for the party candidate to retain the seat, which is the family’s home ground.

The deployment of bouncers around Mr. Avinash Reddy has become a point of ridicule for TDP leaders. Mr. Ravi mocked the YSRCP leader for considering “safety first” for “having failed to bring in development” to the constituency despite the family holding fort for over four decades.

NDA undecided on Kadapa

For the Kadapa Municipal Corporation, which is held by the YSRCP, the party has chosen Bandi Deepthi, spouse of former Deputy Mayor Bandi Nityananda Reddy.

Party workers celebrated when the party’s district president P. Ravindranath Reddy, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s maternal uncle, announced her candidature.

But the NDA is yet to decide on its candidate because the TDP and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) are both said to be claiming the seat.

It is learnt that the JSP is staking a claim to the Mayor’s seat of either the Tirupati or Kadapa corporation, so the decision on this seat will depend on the outcome of the more seriously contested Tirupati seat.