Rebel candidates raise concerns for NDA ahead of municipal polls

Tirupati: As municipal election campaigning enters its final phase, the NDA alliance is struggling to contain dissent in Tirupati, while competition among its partners in Chittoor has raised concerns over a possible division of votes in the remaining contests.

Despite repeated warnings from senior leaders, rebel candidates in Tirupati have continued campaigning against official nominees, exposing differences over seat sharing and candidate selection. In Chittoor, 51 of the 60 municipal corporation divisions have been decided unopposed, leaving nine divisions for a contest.In Tirupati, several leaders unhappy with seat-sharing arrangements have refused to withdraw from the race. Alliance leaders fear that competition among candidates from their own parties could weaken the prospects of official nominees in key divisions. In Division 21, BJP district president Samanchi Srinivas is contesting as the official NDA candidate, while TDP leader Doddareddy Ramakrishna Reddy is in the fray as a rebel. His local support base could make the contest difficult for the alliance nominee.

Division 26 has also witnessed differences between alliance partners. BJP candidate Varaprasad is contesting with alliance support, while TDP leader Koteswara Rao has reportedly started campaigning independently. Former Jana Sena corporator Ponnala Chandra withdrew following directions from party leaders.

In Division 27, Jana Sena candidate and former corporator CK Revathi faces competition from TDP leader T Revathi, who is contesting as a rebel. Division 47 is another concern, with former deputy mayor RC Munikrishna contesting as the official TDP nominee against independents Harikrishna and Gutta Nagaraja Royal, both Jana Sena leaders.

In Division 60, Jana Sena candidate Akepati Subhashini faces a challenge from rebel Adam Sudhakar Reddy, who belongs to the same party.

Senior leaders of the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP have urged rebels to withdraw and support official nominees, warning of disciplinary action, including suspension from their parties. However, local leaders have struggled to resolve the differences.

In Chittoor, TDP candidates secured 45 of the 51 divisions decided unopposed. Jana Sena won two divisions, while the BJP and YSRCP secured one each. Elections will be held in the remaining nine divisions.

The remaining contests have become complicated as candidates from all three NDA partners face one another alongside YSRCP nominees. Though the parties are allies, their candidates are competing for the same divisions, raising fears that votes among alliance supporters could split.

The situation is particularly challenging where rival alliance candidates belong to the same community. Their presence could complicate voting patterns and improve the YSRCP’s chances in closely contested divisions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pradeep Veenalakanti

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Dr V Pradeep Kumar is the Bureau Chief, covering the erstwhile Chittoor district for The Hans India. He holds an M.A., and a Ph.D. in Economics from Sri Venkateswara University, along with a Diploma in Journalism. With over three decades of experience in journalism, he has reported extensively across diverse beats, including politics, entertainment, healthcare, education, and public affairs. When not immersed in writing, he enjoys reading books, watching television, and listening to music. He is also the author of ‘Balance of Payments Problems of Developing Countries with Special Reference to India’, published by Serials Publications, New Delhi.

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