The GVMC mayor election process began in Visakhapatnam with no candidate filing nomination for the mayor post on the first day, while 66 nominations were submitted for ward member posts across the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation zones on Friday, according to a GVMC release cited by Deccan Chronicle.
The process for receiving nominations for both the mayor and ward member contests commenced on Friday. Returning officers recorded nominations in several GVMC zones, but no nomination was filed for ward member posts in Bheemili, Madhurawada and Anakapalli on the opening day.
Gajuwaka recorded the highest number of ward member nominations, with 26 filings. The South Zone received 11 nominations, followed by Aganampudi with nine, Pendurthi with six, the North Zone with seven, the East Zone with four and the West Zone with three.
The absence of a mayoral nomination on day one comes as political parties continue to settle their candidate choices for the municipal contest. The Telugu Desam is yet to finalise its mayoral candidate on behalf of the National Democratic Alliance, according to the report.
The YSRC has named Varudu Kalyani, the sitting Member of the Legislative Council, as its candidate for mayor. The nomination process will determine whether the declared candidates and other prospective contenders formally enter the contest within the schedule set by the election authorities.
The first-day figures also show an uneven response across the municipal zones. While Gajuwaka accounted for nearly two-fifths of the 66 ward member nominations reported on the opening day, three zones recorded no ward member filing. These differences will become clearer as the nomination process continues and candidates submit papers in the remaining days.
The mayor and ward member elections will determine the political leadership of the civic body and representation across its zones. For the returning officers, the immediate next step is to receive nominations from mayoral and ward member candidates during the notified filing period. The GVMC nomination process remains underway following the first day of filings.
