TDP Picks Former Corporator Mukka Sravani as Visakhapatnam Mayor Candidate

Dr Mukka Sravani has been named the Telugu Desam Party’s candidate for mayor of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. The high command announced the choice on Friday night, ending weeks of speculation about the party’s pick. Sravani is a former corporator from the former Ward 26 and is the daughter of senior TDP leader Mukka Mutyala Naidu. She belongs to the Kapu community, a significant social group in the region. Nominations for the GVMC elections began on Friday, and campaigning has already picked up across the city. The TDP’s selection sets up a direct contest with the YSR Congress Party, which has already fielded MLC Varudu Kalyani as its mayoral candidate. Both parties are intensifying their outreach as the municipal poll approaches. The mayoral post controls key civic services and development projects in Visakhapatnam, making it a coveted position for regional parties. Sravani’s experience as a corporator and her family’s political background were cited by party leaders as reasons for her nomination. The announcement is expected to influence voting patterns in the Kapu‑dominated areas of the city.

Context

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation governs the city’s infrastructure, sanitation and planning. Municipal elections often serve as a barometer for state‑level political strength. The TDP and YSRCP are the two main rivals in Andhra Pradesh’s urban contests.