Ex cop ABV to contest for Vijayawada Mayor with Left support

Vijayawada: Retired IPS officer A B Venkateswara Rao is set to contest the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) Mayor’s post as an independent candidate with the backing of the CPI, CPM and several people’s organisations. He has also sought the support of the Congress to strengthen the proposed opposition coordination in the civic elections.

At a joint meeting held in Vijayawada on Saturday, the CPI and CPM decided to extend their support to Venkateswara Rao for the Mayor’s post and contest the corporator elections jointly. Leaders of the two parties reached an understanding on the divisions to be contested by each party and resolved to hold further discussions with the Congress and other like-minded organisations to explore broader coordination.

The meeting called upon voters to elect Venkateswara Rao as Mayor and support CPI and CPM candidates in the corporator elections. The decisions were announced by CPM state committee member Donepudi Kashinath and CPI city secretary G Koteswara Rao.

Meanwhile, Venkateswara Rao wrote to Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y S Sharmila Reddy on Saturday, requesting Congress support for his independent candidature. He said the CPI, CPM and several people’s organisations had invited him to contest the mayoral election and appealed to Sharmila to extend the party’s backing.

He also requested her to direct Congress cadres to campaign for him and vote in his favour, expressing hope that the Congress would support his candidature as a party in the INDIA bloc.

Explaining his decision to enter the electoral fray, Venkateswara Rao alleged that major political parties in the state, including the TDP, Jana Sena and YSRCP, were aligning with what he described as fascist forces. He said such developments posed a threat to democratic, secular and constitutional values. He described it as his civic responsibility to offer people an alternative political platform rooted in democratic principles, a different political culture and constitutional morality.

Responding to his appeal, Sharmila said she would examine the request. The Congress’s stand on his candidature is yet to be announced.

With the CPI and CPM extending their support to Venkateswara Rao and agreeing to contest the corporator divisions jointly, efforts are under way to bring more parties and organisations together ahead of the Vijayawada civic elections. The extent of opposition coordination will become clearer after further discussions and the Congress leadership’s decision.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dasari Srinivasa Rao

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Dasari Srinivasa Rao is a Staff Reporter with The Hans India, covering NTR and Krishna districts, with a primary focus on Vijayawada. He has 32 years of experience in journalism. His reporting spans a wide range of beats, including city and rural development, politics, irrigation, education, crime, and human-interest stories.

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