Cross-Voting Buzz Adds Uncertainty to Nellore Mayor Election; Anam Vijayakumar Reddy Hopes for Surprise Victory

Nellore: With just a few hours left for the counting of votes in the Nellore Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections, speculation over alleged cross-voting has gained momentum, with YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) mayoral candidate Anam Vijayakumar Reddy reportedly hoping for a surprise victory.

Despite the relatively slim chances of the YSRCP securing a majority in the NMC elections, the party fielded Anam Vijayakumar Reddy, brother of Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, as its mayoral candidate.

The political situation appeared challenging for Anam as prominent leaders of the ruling NDA alliance, including Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakara Reddy and Municipal Administration Minister Dr. Ponguru Narayana, threw their weight behind NDA mayoral candidate Poluboyina Roop Kumar Yadav.

Reports that the YSRCP struggled to deploy polling agents in several booths during Sunday’s polling further strengthened the perception that the contest was largely one-sided in certain parts of the city.

However, the YSRCP camp is said to have gained fresh confidence following reports of possible cross-voting, allegedly triggered by internal differences among certain NDA leaders. The party reportedly believes that these political equations could work in favour of its mayoral candidate.

A senior political observer said that although the prevailing political atmosphere appeared favourable to the TDP-led alliance, the possibility of cross-voting could not be completely ruled out. According to him, certain voters might have supported Anam Vijayakumar Reddy for various political and personal reasons, including the Anam family’s longstanding political association and rapport with the people of Nellore city.

Meanwhile, a senior TDP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, observed that the present uncertainty could have been avoided if the party leadership had exercised greater caution while finalising its mayoral candidate.

Interestingly, the alleged cross-voting issue has triggered considerable debate among the public, with the political future of the NDA’s mayoral candidate seemingly attracting attention despite the alliance’s expectations of winning a majority of divisions in the NMC elections.

Whether the cross-voting buzz will translate into an unexpected electoral outcome or prove to be mere speculation will become clear once the counting process is completed.