A total of 21 candidates remain in the contest for the Mayor's post in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections after election officials completed the scrutiny of nominations. Of the 29 nominations filed, eight were rejected in accordance with election rules, Mayor Election Returning Officer Dayanidhi said.

The scrutiny was conducted as part of the Second Ordinary Elections–2026 for GVMC. The development marks an important stage in the mayoral election process, with candidates now awaiting the completion of the withdrawal period.

 

Party-wise distribution of valid nominations

According to a report by The Pioneer and details published by UNI, the 21 valid nominations include candidates from major political parties and Independents.

• Indian National Congress: 6 candidates

• YSR Congress Party (YSRCP): 3 candidates

• Telugu Desam Party (TDP): 2 candidates

• Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): 1 candidate

• Other parties: 2 candidates

• Independents: 7 candidates

The Congress has the highest number of valid nominations among the political parties, while seven Independents have also cleared scrutiny. These figures represent valid nominations and do not indicate the final number of candidates who will contest after withdrawals.

 

Key candidates in the mayoral race

The valid nominations include Varudu Kalyani, Pedada Ramana Kumari and Tippala Venkata Vijaya Kumari from the YSRCP, along with Mukka Sravani and Senapati Vasantha from the TDP.

The Congress candidates include Jerrypotula Venkata Lakshmi, Ushnara Parveen, Devara Naga Sunanda Devi, Dandi Priyanka, Sheikh Daulatunnisa and Bora Santoshi. Karanam Keerthana Grace is the BSP candidate. The valid nominations also include candidates representing other parties and seven Independents.

 

District Collector inspects scrutiny process

District Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore inspected the nomination scrutiny process at the Madhuruvada Zonal Office on October 19. During the visit, he enquired about the technical aspects of the process, interacted with officials and spoke with candidates present at the office.

Election officials said the nominations were examined according to the applicable rules. The scrutiny process is intended to establish which nominations meet the requirements for participation in the election.

 

October 21 is the withdrawal deadline

Candidates whose nominations were declared valid can withdraw their candidature until October 21, 2026. The final list of candidates will become clearer after the withdrawal deadline.

The mayoral election is part of the second ordinary elections to GVMC in 2026. The next stage of the process will determine how many candidates remain in the contest after the withdrawal period concludes.