TIRUPATI: Nellore city Assembly constituency is gearing up for a fierce electoral battle in the upcoming elections. The ruling YSRC is determined to maintain its strong position, while the Opposition Telugu Desam (TD), Jana Sena (JS), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are joining forces to challenge the YSRC’s dominance.
Despite incumbent MLA and former minister Dr P. Anil Kumar Yadav of the YSRC winning consecutively in 2014 and 2019, there is growing discontent among voters due to various unaddressed local issues during his tenure. One major concern is the incomplete underground drainage scheme for Nellore city, which has been progressing slowly for almost a decade.
Interestingly, 80 per cent of the project was completed during the previous TD regime, but the YSRC government has allegedly shown little interest in finishing it. Other pressing issues include water supply, mosquito problems, and unsanitary conditions in vacant plots in the city.
Capitalizing on this situation, the TD has promised to resolve these long-standing civic issues as their first pre-election commitment. Dr Ponguru Narayana, the former municipal administration minister and the TD-JSP-BJP candidate for the city, has been actively campaigning, addressing these civic problems and pledging to fix them.
Meanwhile, the YSRC is facing internal conflicts and key leaders defecting to the TD. Despite Anil Kumar securing a party ticket for Mohammad Khaleel Ahmed in Nellore City, many senior leaders and party members have left. In response, YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has appointed Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy as the Nellore Lok Sabha candidate to boost morale and regroup dissatisfied party members.
Vijayasai Reddy, known for his ability to reconcile party disputes, is actively campaigning in the city with Khaleel Ahmed, promising to address civic issues and advocating for development in various sectors. In the upcoming elections, Narayana, with the backing of the influential Kapu community and traditional TD supporters, will be challenging Khaleel Ahmed, who enjoys the support of the YSRC’s base and the Muslim community.