Kakinada civic poll to be held on Aug 29

Kakinada: At last, the Election Commission on Thursday issued a notification to conduct the elections for Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC). According to the notification, the nominations will be received from different parties and interested individuals from August 7. The last date for filing nominations is August 10.

Highlights:

• Nominations will be received from August 7 and last date for filing of nominations is August 10
• Both TDP and YSRCP are taking the polls as prestigious

The scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations start from August 16. On the same day, the final list of contesting candidates will be announced and the polling will be held on August 29. The counting and declaration of results will be on September 1.

Kakinada became corporation in 2004 when Congress Party is ruling the undivided AP. Kavikondala Saroja from Congress Party became the first mayor. The then elected civic body served its full term till September 29, 2010.

Since then Kakinada has no elected body and was administered by Special Officers. There are 50 divisions in Kakinada and some nearby Gram Panchayats namely Ramanayya Peta, Atchutapuram,Valasapakala, Vakalapudi being merged into the corporation in 2013.

Besides this Indrapalem and Chidiga Panchayats are also merged into the corporation. But some disputes were pending on merging of these two Panchayats. KMC has a 192.3 square kilometre of area. As per 2011 Census, the total population of Kakinada is 3,82,182 (including merged panchayats) and it is the 8th largest populated city in AP. The literacy rate of Kakinada is above 80 per cent.

Kakinada has been selected for Smart City under Smart Cities Mission by the Central government. Kakinada was also chosen for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation Scheme which was governed by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Under these schemes,

funds will flow to the city for developing amenities and creating a good quality life for residents. So far Rs 388 crore were sanctioned under Smart City Mission and another Rs 77 crores sanctioned under AMRUT Scheme.

In 2004 when Congress Party won 33 divisions out of 50. After bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Congress party lost its charm in AP. The prominent leaders from Congress Party later moved to either YSRCP or TDP. In 2014 Assembly elections, TDP won both Kakinada City and Rural Assembly seats.

Now all eyes are on Kakinada Municipal Corporation’s seat. TDP and YSRCP will go neck and neck on August 29 to achieve the Kakinada Mayor seat. The elections are prestigious for both TDP and YSRCP. An analyst says both Nandyal Assembly byelection and Kakinada Municipal Corporation elections are a litmus test for TDP’s three-year rule.