YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Mayor candidate Varudu Kalyani on Saturday filed her nomination for the upcoming Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections.

The party organised a rally, which began at the YSRCP office and proceeded towards the GVMC office; a large number of YSRCP supporters took part in a show of strength. YSRCP MLC Botcha Satyanarayana, regional coordinator Kurasala Kannababu, former Minister Gudivada Amarnath and other senior party leaders accompanied her.

Addressing the media ahead of the rally, Ms. Kalyani said she entered politics with the intention of serving people. “Being a resident of Visakhapatnam, I am aware of the city's problems and the challenges faced by residents,” she said.

She claimed that Visakhapatnam had never witnessed such severe water scarcity as it was experiencing now. She alleged that the city's water crisis reflected the government's failure to address basic civic issues and said that the situation had been different during the YSRCP's tenure.

Raising concerns over environmental issues, she referred to opposition to the proposed data centre and said that the concerns of residents needed to be addressed.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Botcha Satyanarayana expressed confidence that the YSRCP would emerge victorious in Visakhapatnam and that Ms. Kalyani would become the next Mayor. He said Ms. Kalyani had worked hard for the party in various capacities, including as its women’s wing president and an MLC. Describing her as a well-educated leader from the Backward Classes (BC) community, he said that she had the experience and commitment required to lead the city.

The YSRCP has already finalised and announced the names of nearly 80 candidates for the upcoming civic polls. The party has intensified its election campaign in Visakhapatnam, with several candidates preparing to file their nominations.