The GVMC mayor election began without a nomination for the mayoral post on the first day of filing on Friday, while candidates submitted 66 nomination papers for ward member positions across Visakhapatnam’s zones, according to a Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation release reported by Deccan Chronicle.
The process for receiving nominations for the mayor and ward member posts commenced on Friday. The first day produced no nomination for the mayor’s position, even as candidates filed papers across seven GVMC zones.
The Gajuwaka Zone recorded the highest number of ward member nominations, with 26 filings. The South Zone received 11 nominations, followed by Aganampudi with nine, the North Zone with seven, Pendurthi with six, the East Zone with four and the West Zone with three. Together, the zone-wise figures accounted for all 66 nominations reported on the opening day.
Returning officers reported that no ward member nominations were filed in the Bheemili, Madhurawada and Anakapalli zones on Friday. The absence of filings in these zones was recorded alongside the nominations received in the other GVMC areas.
The mayoral contest is also awaiting clarity on the National Democratic Alliance candidate. The Telugu Desam is yet to finalise its nominee for the mayor post on behalf of the NDA alliance, while the YSRC has named Varudu Kalyani, the sitting member of the Legislative Council, as its candidate, according to the report.
The filing process is the first formal stage in determining the candidates who will contest the municipal posts. For Visakhapatnam, the nominations will establish the field for both the citywide mayoral contest and the ward-level elections that will determine representation across the GVMC’s administrative zones.
The first-day figures show an uneven start across the corporation’s zones. Gajuwaka accounted for nearly two-fifths of the 66 ward nominations, while three zones recorded no ward filings. The numbers may change as the nomination process continues, but the opening day ended without a paper being filed for the mayoral post and with the NDA alliance yet to announce its candidate.
