Voters prioritise candidates over development in local polls in Vijayawada

In the recent local polls held in Vijayawada, voters prioritized candidates and political affiliations over the development of the city, according to recent reports. At various polling stations across the city, including Andhra Loyola College and Montessori College of Physiotherapy, many voters from economically weaker sections expressed that they only knew the symbols of the candidates and did not know their names.

While some voters discussed issues like drainage in their areas, they did not expect any improvement after the elections. Similar sentiments were echoed at Ranigari Thota, a predominantly Yadav and SC dominated area, where residents moved to the region after the construction of Pandit Nehru Bus Station in the 1980s. This particular community strongly supported NDA mayoral candidate Vangaveeti Radha Krishna. One beneficiary, Nagaraju, expressed gratitude to Mr. Radha Krishna for providing them with pattas, or title deeds.

Interestingly, only a few voters indicated that their primary motivation for voting was the hope of seeing development. Ravi Ramesh, founder of Amaravati Runners, shared his disappointment at the current focus of political parties, emphasizing that while parties were ensuring their survival, little attention was being given to basic infrastructure needs like children’s parks and basic facilities. Ramesh hopes that the new set of corporators will bring about positive changes in the city.