TDP-led NDA dominates Tirupati district in ZPTC/MPTC elections

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has shown a clear edge over the rival YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in the recently-held elections to MPTC/ZPTC local bodies. Of the 35 Zilla Parishat Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC), the TDP won 25—21 in the elections and four unanimously.

Similarly, its alliance partners Jana Sena and BJP won one and two seats respectively. On the other hand, the YSRCP won six seats and an independent candidate won one. In the Mandal Parishat Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) elections, the TDP won 185 in the elections and 125 unanimously, taking its total to 310.

The Jana Sena and BJP won 12 and eight respectively in the elections, apart from winning nine and five seats unanimously, taking the alliance total to 344. The YSRCP won 85 in the polls and one unanimously, while the CPI-M won one and independents won thirteen seats.

However, the TDP suffered a major jolt in Chandragiri, the native Assembly constituency of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, with three out of the six mandals going to the YSRCP. The prestigious Tirupati rural mandal, where the voting as well as the counting lasted much longer than the rest in the State, was won by Chevireddy Harshith Reddy, son of former MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy.

The YSRCP won, in spite of the efforts put in by TDP MLA Pulivarthi Nani and his spouse Pulivarthi Sudha, who represent the party’s women’s wing, to restrain the rival party leaders near the polling booths. The YSRCP also won Yerravaripalem and Chinnagottigallu mandals in Chandragiri, making it the constituency that yielded maximum space to YSRCP.

The other three seats won by it are Kodur, Chitvel, and Pellakur. As the focus now shifts to Zilla Parishat Chairperson election (SC woman), all eyes are on Panabaka Chetana (39), daughter of TDP district president Panabaka Lakshmi and retired railway official Panabaka Krishnaiah, who won the Srikalahasti rural ZPTC seat unanimously.

A doctor by profession, her name came forward with the party’s general secretary Nara Lokesh according preference to young and educated candidates hailing from the marginalised sections. The other major aspirant is Satyavedu former MLA H.

Hemalatha (78) from Nagalapuram ZPTC seat.