Parties ratchet up campaign in pilgrim city

Tirupati: The political parties fighting for the prestigious Tirupati Municipal Corporation stepped up their campaign with only two days left for the electioneering which would come to end on Monday evening. While City MLA and YSRCP senior leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy leading his party campaign in the civic election from the front, for TDP, the main opposition former MLA and constituency in-charge M Suguna heading the electioneering.

Bhumana was not content with his party candidates elected unanimously in 22 divisions against 50 in the Corporation, sweating it out to see the party win the maximum seats in the civic election. Reddy daily beginning his campaign at dawn and continuing it even

after dusk covering 4-5 divisions daily in his door-to-door campaign along with city leaders and candidates in the fray. YSRCP mainly relies on the welfare programmes including the recent distribution of house sites benefitting about 25,000 homeless poor in the city and also other initiatives like ration at doorstep. Reddy on Saturday campaigned in 32, 44 and 25 divisions and received a warm welcome by the residents and in many localities, he was

offered Harthi by women. The party is all set to get the mayor and deputy mayor posts without any efforts as it has already 22 candidates elected unopposed and

requires just four more in the election. TDP is contesting only in 21 divisions is focusing on the failure of the government and also highlighting the alleged coercive tactics of the ruling party resulting in high number of candidates being elected without contest in Chittoor district, home turf of its chief and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Suguna on Saturday led a hectic electioneering in four divisions covering the localities of Royal Nagar, Bommagunta, Korlagunta, Palleveddhi and Thimminadupalem in which she dwelled at the development works including the Smart city projects including Garuda

Varadhi, elevated expressway to ease traffic congestion in the city and also facilitate the pilgrims from outside go to Tirumala without touching the city roads. She said that her party would fight for reopening of Anna Canteens for the benefit of urban poor and also for reduction of property tax in urban areas.

Meanwhile, the BJP is fighting in 9 divisions in the city and CPM contesting in 6 including an independent candidate supported by it intensified the campaign involving state party leaders.