Indirect election to be held for Deputy Mayor post on Feb 3

Tirupati: Following directives from the State Election Commission, the Deputy Mayor election for Tirupati Municipal Corporation is set to take place on February 3.

The indirect election for the vacant Deputy Mayor post under the Tirupati Municipal Corporation will be conducted at a special meeting on February 3.

The Election Authority and Director of Municipal Administration have appointed the Joint Collector as the presiding officer for the election. In preparation for the event, Joint Collector Shubham Bansal reviewed various arrangements with officials and staff at the S V University Senate Hall.

During the review, officials emphasised the need for adequate security measures, proper seating arrangements at the hall and designated spaces for media as per regulations.

It was also mandated that the entire election process be recorded on video. Representatives of political parties must submit their whip issuance documents to the Joint Collector on Sunday, February 2, between 9 am and 11 am at the JC Chamber at the Collectorate.

The special election meeting will commence at 11 am on February 3, and all corporators and ex-officio members must arrive at the Senate Hall before the scheduled time. The election officer strictly instructed that mobile phones will not be permitted inside the hall and that attendees must carry their ID cards.

The review meeting was attended by Smart City GM Chandramouli, Additional SP K Ravi Manohar Chari, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Amarayya, District Information and Public Relations Officer A Balakondaiah, Urban Tahsildar Bhagyalakshmi, and other officials.

Meanwhile, the election has been generating political heat in the city with the YSRCP reportedly taking their corporators to an unknown destination in their bid to protect them from yielding to pressures from the ruling NDA.

However, some corporators have refused to accompany the team and have been expressing their dissent over the attitude of the party leadership.

While the YSRCP has announced the candidature of 42nd division corporator Sekhar Reddy for the post, the NDA is expected to finalise its nominee by Saturday.

The corporation has the strength of 47 corporators now as one corporator has resigned to his post while another corporator has died some time back. Election to one division was not held out of the 50 divisions following the court directive. YSRCP has two more members in Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy and MLC Dr Cipai Subramanyam who are ex-officio members.