The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) mayoral election has 15 reported contestants following the withdrawal of six nominations. TDP candidate Mukka Sravani, representing the ruling alliance, and YSRCP nominee Varudu Kalyani are the two principal candidates in the contest.
A total of 29 candidates initially filed nominations for the mayoral position. During scrutiny, election officials rejected eight nominations and declared 21 valid. Following the withdrawal of six candidates, the number of contestants reportedly came down to 15.
Mukka Sravani, 32, previously served as a GVMC corporator representing Ward 26 in Akkayyapalem between 2021 and 2026. She has been nominated by the TDP as the official candidate of the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance.
YSRCP has fielded Varudu Kalyani, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) and president of the party’s state women’s wing. Both candidates are contesting for the mayoral position, which is reserved for women.
Apart from the two main candidates, representatives of Congress, other political parties and independents are also in the race. However, the final official list of candidates has not yet been released due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, the ruling alliance has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the 120 GVMC corporator wards. The TDP will contest 77 wards, Jana Sena 32 and the BJP 11. The agreement followed discussions among the three parties over the allocation of seats.
The GVMC elections were originally scheduled for October 28, with counting planned for October 30. However, the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission has temporarily halted further election proceedings following Supreme Court directions on a petition filed by YSRCP.
The Supreme Court directed the SEC to withhold the final candidates list while examining allegations that some aspirants were prevented from filing nominations. The allegations remain disputed, and the court’s directions do not establish that the reported incidents occurred.
With the election process temporarily halted, clarification is awaited on whether polling will proceed on October 28 as originally scheduled. The final candidate list and any changes to the election timetable will depend on further decisions by the Election Commission and the courts.
