Six YSRCP corporators defect to NDA amid looming no-trust motion in GVMC Council

A view of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) office in Visakhapatnam. File
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU

The NDA is gradually picking up strength in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Council, as six YSRCP corporators defected to the Alliance parties on Thursday, March 20, in Amaravati.

While five corporators joined the TDP in the presence of IT Minister Nara Lokesh, one corporator joined the JSP in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan.

The move gains significance amid speculations that the NDA corporators were planning to file a no-confidence motion against Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari of the YSRCP, who completed the four-year term on March 18.

State TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao, Visakhapatnam East MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, South MLA Vamsikrishna Srinivas Yadav and TDP floor leader Peela Srinivasa Rao were present while the six corporators joined the NDA parties.

The NDA corporators claim that their strength in the GVMC has now increased to approximately 60, and with the support of ex officio members, their strength is likely to reach around 70. They claim that more YSRCP corporators will join them in the next few days and that they will submit a representation for a no-confidence motion against the Mayor to the Collector thereafter.

“The present strength is enough to win the no-confidence motion. However, some more strength is required to elect the Mayor,” an NDA corporator said.

It may be recalled that YSRCP corporators have alleged that the NDA, in an effort to gain the upper hand in the Council, has been resorting to influencing and threatening them.

Budged meet on March 29

Following representations from several corporators, the GVMC has finally decided to organise a special meeting on Budget 2025-26 on March 29. The information was shared with the corporators on Friday.

The Budget meeting was already overdue. While the Budget was introduced before the standing committee members in January, it was not put before the Council due to the imposition of the North Andhra Teachers MLC election code.

After the code ended, several corporators from the CPI(M), JSP and TDP have expressed displeasure over delaying the Budget meeting, saying that it would impact the GVMC’s financial transactions from April 1.