Visakhapatnam: Former Minister Gudivada Amarnath, former MLA Karanam Dharmasri and Visakhapatnam Mayor Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari strongly condemned the conspiracy being hatched by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to grab the Mayor’s seat in Visakhapatnam.

Speaking to the media here on Wednesday, the YSRCP leaders stated that despite lacking majority in the corporation, the TDP issued a notice to move a no-confidence motion against the Mayor.

The YSRCP leaders announced that it will boycott the no-confidence motion scheduled on April 19 and issued a whip to all 58 corporators and mentioned that legal action will be taken against anyone who violates the whip. They remarked that the TDP is unable to accept the fact that a woman from the Yadava community is serving as a Mayor. The YSRCP leaders stated that the no confidence motion move clearly shows TDP’s respect for the backward classes.

Former minister Gudivada Amarnath stated that the TDP and its alliance partners have been engaging in manipulative politics for the past one month, to win the mayoral post. He said the YSRCP corporators are being lured, threatened and their families are being intimidated to switch loyalties.

The party decided that Mayor Hari Venkata Kumari will continue her term for the rest of the 11 months. The party corporators have been instructed not to attend the no-confidence motion scheduled for 19 April. Amarnath urged the public to keep tabs on the attempts made by the TDP-led government to usurp power.

Recalling how she was given an opportunity to serve as a Mayor by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in a general category seat as part of his commitment to promoting BC women in politics, Mayor Hari Venkata Kumari expressed anguish over the relentless targeting of a BC woman by the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance. She noted that of the 22 Yadava community candidates fielded by the YSRCP back then, 13 won, and a similar number from the Kapu communityalso emerged victorious. Despite contributing significantly to the city’s development without any bias over the past four years, she expressed concern over how she has now been targeted in an unfair manner. She appealed to TDP state president Palla Srinivas and Jana Sena MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav, both from the Yadava community, to reconsider their stance. She criticised Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav for nursing a grudge as he was denied the Mayor’s post he aspired for when he was with theYSRCP. Former MLA Karanam Dharmasri stated that the alliance is conspiring to dethrone aBC woman who was given a rare political opportunity.

He urged the Election Commission to take immediate action against any corporators violating the whip and warned that officials acting as agents of the ruling party will be held accountable in court. He demanded that the no-confidence motion must follow due democratic procedures.