Minister’s wife in mayor race
Political activity has picked up within the limits of Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC) with parties busy with the process of selecting candidates for contesting from the 60 divisions of the civic body.
Ruling TRS has already entered into an alliance with CPI by giving the latter three seats. Parleys are on with CPI-M for a similar understanding. While local CPI-M leaders are opposing any alliance with TRS, the party high command is in favour of a pact with the ruling party.
Vansantha Laxmi, wife of transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, is contesting from 20th division. It is expected that, once elected, she will be the next mayor of Khammam. A general category candidate can be the mayor of Khammam, as the seat is not under any reserved category.
Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to announce its list of candidates on Saturday. It has declared that it will contest all the 60 divisions.
Present mayor B. Muralikrishna declared has that he will not be contest KMC polls as his ward has been reserved for general women. Many TRS corporators have lost their divisions, as their divisions have been reserved for women this time. They want their wives to contest, so that they can retain their seats. Seelamsetti Veerabhadram, whose wife is corporator from ruling party, is contesting again as a TRS candidate.
The transport minister has asked some of the existing candidates to file their nominations from their respective divisions. About four nominations have been filed on Friday. Candidates have, however, been asked not to expect any election funds. They will have to fund their election on their own.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has become the first political party in Khammam to announce its manifesto.
It has promised to increase self-employment opportunities by imparting vocational skills to youth and providing loans under various self-employment schemes. AAP has also promised to give importance to creating sports and recreation facilities in the town, supplying power at subsidised prices, empowerment of women and welfare schemes to differently able persons.