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Suspense over Kakinada civic body poll
Former Kakinada Rural MLA and YSRCP leader Kurasala Kannababu said that clarity on conduct of polls and the mode of Mayor election (whether direct or indirect form) has to be announced by government.
Kakinada: The issue of Kakinada civic body polls has become talk of the town after the city found its place in smart city list of 20.
The Kakinada civic body, which has 150 years of history, is elevated to corporation status in 2004. The first body was formed with K Saroja as first woman Mayor elected on behalf of Congress.
The merger of surrounding 16 villages came to the fore after the expiry of first term in August 2010. After several deliberations, the number was curtailed to nine. These are Turangi, Indrapalem, Swaminager, Cheediga, Teachers’ Colony (Pratap Nagar), Ramanayya Peta, Valasapakala, Vakalapudi and S Atchutapuram.
The authorities and people’s representatives are of the opinion that as Kakinada was selected one among the 20 in smart city list in the first year itself, the merger of villages is inevitable for over all development of the entire area.
Industrial development has been concentrated in surrounding villages particularly around Valasapakala, Vakalapudi and Ramanayya Peta.
Out of nine villages, Swaminagar, Teachers’ Colony, and S Atchutapuram were merged in corporation whereas the merger of remaining six was challenged in High Court.
The court in its directive asked the authorities to conduct elections to respective Panchayats first (as three-year out of five-year term was completed for each of these bodies) and then seek the resolution in favor of merger.
If the merger is accepted, the number of divisions is expected to rise to 70 from the present 50 as the population will cross four lakh. Kakinada Rural MLA Pilli Ananta Lakshmi, when contacted, said that the decision of government is crucial on the issue.
Meanwhile, YSRCP and TDP are making plans to make inroads into corporation as the same turned out as prestigious for both. In this context, it may be mentioned that except Jyotula Sitarama Murty during 1978- 88 first term as independent and second term 1983-88 on behalf of TDP, the rest of the municipal chairpersons Prabha Joseph, Dr Beeraka Chandrasekhar and K Saroja (as Mayor) were elected on behalf of Congress.
Former Kakinada Rural MLA and YSRCP leader Kurasala Kannababu said that clarity on conduct of polls and the mode of Mayor election (whether direct or indirect form) has to be announced by government.
