Jana Sena Party (JSP) corporator (Ward 64) Dalli Govinda Raju has been unanimously elected as the Deputy Mayor, by the corporators of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and its leaders, during a special meeting organised at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) office here on Tuesday.

The meeting which was supposed to be organised on May 19 was postponed to May 20, due to lack of quorum.

Joint Collector and Election Presiding Officer Mayur Ashok said that according to the Election Commission’s notification for the GVMC Deputy Mayor election, B-form was submitted by the NDA corporator (Ward 64) Dalli Govinda Raju. His name was proposed by Visakhapatnam West MLA P.G.V.R. Naidu (Ganababu), and supported by Visakhapatnam North MLA P. Vishnukumar Raju. A total of 59 members, including ex-officio members and corporators, were present. Since the required quorum for the Deputy Mayor election was met and no other candidate was in the fray, Mr. Govindaraju was declared elected as the Deputy Mayor, Mr. Mayur Ashok announced during the meeting.

Mr. Govindaraju was administered the oath of office as Deputy Mayor by the Presiding Officer.

NDA leaders including TDP A.P. president Palla Srinivasa Rao, other MLAs Ganta Srinivasa Rao, PGVR Naidu, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, P Vishnu Kumar Raju, Ch Vamsikrishna Srinivas and Konathala Ramakrishna congratulated him on the occasion.

Expressing their happiness, the JSP corporators thanked the NDA high command and stated that appointing a JSP candidate as Deputy Mayor will give a moral boost to the party cadre who have been working at the grassroot level. The JSP corporators said that Mr. Govinda Raju is one among the few leaders who has been with the JSP from Yarada (Gajuwaka division) since its inception.

Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan also released a statement congratulating Mr. Govinda Raju.