Congress Gains Ground in Andhra Pradesh Local Body Elections, Says Pallam Raju

Congress candidates are seeing growing public backing in Andhra Pradesh’s local body elections, senior leader M. M. Pallam Raju said on Monday in Vijayawada. He told reporters that voters, unhappy with the track record of successive state governments, are turning to Congress and many want to run on its ticket. Pallam Raju claimed that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP chief Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy have not pressed the Centre hard enough to obtain Special Category Status for the state. He also raised doubts about the reliability of electronic voting machines, saying the concerns have not been fully addressed. He criticised reports that voters’ names were removed during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He added that people are watching the policies of the BJP‑led central government and will react in the coming days. After the press meet, Pallam Raju joined a door‑to‑door drive in Singh Nagar, covering divisions 73, 74, 76, 78 and 79 and Vambay Colony. He met residents with party leaders and candidates, urging them to vote for Congress in the upcoming polls.

Context

Local body elections determine control of municipal and panchayat bodies, which manage daily services. Special Category Status gives a state higher central assistance, a long‑standing demand in Andhra Pradesh.