WUA polls peaceful in  NTR dist amid political setbacks

Elections for 237 Water Users’ Associations (WUAs) and 1,936 Territorial Constituencies (TCs) were held peacefully on Saturday in the NTR district. However, voting for five WUAs and 42 TCs was postponed due to issues such as voter apathy, disputes, and administrative hurdles.
According to the Water Resources Department (WRD), the district comprises 242 WUAs and 1,978 TCs. Elections for WUA No. 73 (Major) and WUA No. 74 (Major) were deferred as voters boycotted over inadequate water supply. Similarly, polls for WUA No. 20 (Ravula Tank, Rangapuram) and WUA No. 51 (East Tank, Ganapavaram) were postponed due to conflicts among voters.
Elections for president and vice president posts in WUA No. 21 (Rangapuram, Reddigudem Mandal) could not be conducted, although Territorial Constituency elections in the area were completed. These delays highlight challenges in ensuring smooth elections, underscoring the need for enhanced coordination and conflict resolution mechanisms.
Gannavaram MLA and government Whip Yarlagadda Venkata Rao suffered a significant setback in the WUA elections for Jangamavani Tank in Nunna, Vijayawada Rural Mandal. Kolaprolu Krishna Reddy, supported by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), defeated the TDP-backed candidate for the president’s post.
The TCs election for Jangamavani Tank resulted in a tie, with both TDP and YSRCP-backed panels winning three seats each. A tiebreaker for TC No. 3 was won by a YSRCP candidate. Following this, the election officer conducted a draw for president and vice president positions. Krishna Reddy emerged as president, while Kotaiah, a TDP candidate, was elected vice president.
This defeat is seen as a political blow to Yarlagadda, with the election reflecting the tussle for dominance between TDP and YSRCP in the region.