Retired Havildar takes on veteran BJP leader in Rajamahendravaram mayoral battle

Retired Havildar Daasi Venkata Rao filing his nomination for the Mayor’s post of Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation on Sunday.

The contest for the Mayor’s post in the Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (RMC) has intensified after the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) fielded retired Havildar Daasi Venkata Rao against BJP’s long-standing party worker, Relangi Rani Sridevi. Enrolled in the Indian Army as a Jawan in 1969, Mr. Venkata Rao retired as a Havildar after serving for 15 years. He is currently a contractor based in Rajamahendravaram city. Proposed by YSRCP East Godavari district president Ch. Venugopala Krishna and former MP Margani Bharat, Mr. Venkata Rao filed his nomination papers for the Mayor’s post on Sunday. Speaking to the media later, Mr. Venkata Rao said; “Developmental projects would be his top priority and that transparency and discipline in administration would be guaranteed if he is voted to power”.

He recalled that the city had witnessed transformation and infrastructure development during the YSRCP rule. Bond with party

On Sunday, BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav announced Ms. Sridevi as the NDA alliance candidate. She is scheduled to file her nomination for the Mayor’s post on Monday. Ms. Sridevi has been associated with the BJP for many years.

Currently, Ms. Sridevi, is serving as the BJP In-Charge of West Godavari district. She served as the party’s former vice president of Andhra Pradesh (2021-25), and as the State president of BJP Mahila Morcha from 2009-12. In 2014, she was elected as a corporator in the Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation. The Mayor post is reserved for SC-General, posing a challenge for the YSRCP and the BJP in finding suitable candidates, as some of the key Mayor aspirants been associated with the parties were found to be ineligible to contest. Manifesto

The mayoral candidates of both the parties are yet to announce their manifestos, as they were fielded by their respective parties at the eleventh hour to meet the nomination deadline. Monday is the last date for filing nominations for the Mayor’s post. However, the new Mayor is likely to focus on the Godavari Pushkarams-2027 and infrastructure projects as the road map. The 2026 election will be the first election to the RMC after 11 villages, including Dowleswaram, Bommuru, Hukumpeta, were merged.