Though about 70 municipalities are going for polls this month, the focus is more on the municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh.
The ruling YSR Congress, which had won 80 per cent of the Gram Panchayats in the state is pinning hopes on wresting all the urban local bodies too.
However, the opposition TDP, which had performed very badly in the Gram Panchayat elections is equally confident of winning more urban local bodies as it believes that urban voters have turned against the Jagan government in the last 20 months.
But, the ruling party is banking on all its direct cash benefit schemes and the house sites given to the poor to add to the party’s victory.
The government is planning to give house sites for the urban poor and had already announced it, which, the party believes, would bring victory in the civic polls.
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had done an internal survey for the party to know the facts in the municipal corporations, while he had left the municipalities to the Ministers and MLAs concerned.
Surprisingly, the YSR Congress is poised to win all the 12 municipal corporations in the state, with thumping majority.
The internal survey gave a big win for the YSR Congress in all the 12 municipal corporations, with the party facing a tough fight in Visakhapatnam municipal corporation.
In the 98 divisions in the Greater Visakha, the ruling party is set to win 50 divisions, while the TDP’s victory is predicted in 20 divisions leaving tough fight in 27 divisions.
In Vijayawada too, the ruling party is set to win 38 divisions out of 64, while the TDP’s victory is predicted in 12 divisions leaving tough fight in 14 divisions.
The ruling party is having tough contest in Ongole, Guntur and Tirupati municipal corporations too.
It is to be seen how the ruling party would fight the battle in Visakha, Vijayawada, Guntur, Ongole and Tirupati.