TDP-led alliance win majority of unanimously-elected seats in rural body polls in AP

The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led alliance in Andhra Pradesh won a majority of the Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) seats which reported unanimous elections in different parts of the state, officials said on Wednesday.

The TDP secured 71 seats unopposed, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won three and Jana Sena two. The opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) managed to secure just one ZPTC seat without a contest in the Pyapili ZPTC constituency in the Dhone assembly constituency of Nandyal district.

Tuesday was the final day for withdrawal of nominations for the rural local body elections. The deadline witnessed a series of withdrawals by YSRCP candidates and rebel nominees from the alliance parties in several constituencies.

As rival candidates withdrew, leaving only one nominee in the fray in each of those constituencies, the remaining candidates were declared elected unopposed. The alliance’s dominance was particularly evident in several districts, where candidates were elected unanimously after rival nominees, including YSR Congress Party candidates and rebels from alliance parties, withdrew their nominations.

The alliance also registered unanimous victories in the majority of the 1,830 mandal parishad territorial constituencies (MPTCs) out of the total number of 9,829 MPTC seats across the state. The polling for the remaining seats is scheduled to be held on November 3, while counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on November 5.

The alliance’s performance was particularly significant in YSR Kadapa district, considered to be a bastion of YSRCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Of the 39 ZPTC seats in Kadapa district, the alliance secured 23 unopposed, accounting for approximately 59% of the total.

Particularly in Pulivendula, the assembly constituency represented by Jagan Mohan Reddy, the alliance secured victory in three out of seven ZPTCs – Simhadripuram, Chakrayapeta and Tondur – without an election. The TDP also made significant gains in the neighbouring Kamalapuram assembly constituency, which has six ZPTC seats.

Five seats — Chennur, C.K. Dinne, Vallur, Veerapunayunipalle and Pendlimarri — were secured unopposed by the TDP, while the Kamalapuram ZPTC seat went to Jana Sena. Even in the MPTC elections, the alliance put up an impressive show in Pulivendula.

Of the 65 MPTC seats in this assembly constituency, 64 were secured unopposed by alliance candidates, leaving only one seat to be decided through polling. The BJP won two of these seats, while the remaining unanimous victories went to the TDP.

The alliance had also secured 20 of the 40 wards in the Pulivendula municipality unopposed. Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience.