Coalition Dominates AP Civic Polls

Continuing its impressive performance in local body elections, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led NDA in Andhra Pradesh has bagged 499 out of 582 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) seats and 5,861 out of 7,768 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) seats.

Opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) emerged second biggest party after the TDP to wing 76 ZPTCs and 1,711 MPTCs.

The State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday night released the final results of the counting.

Polling was conducted for 582 ZPTCs and 7,767 MPTCs in 28 districts on November 5 following the declaration of 77 and 2,051 ZPTCs and MPTCs respectively as unanimously elected.

The TDP and its allies, the Jana Sena Party (JSP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) captured majority of the seats.

The TDP emerged as the largest party, winning 406 ZPTCs and 4,806 MPTCs.

The JSP led by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan bagged 73 ZPTCs and 938 MPTCs. The BJP won 20 ZPTCs and 117 MPTCs.

The YSRCP, which was crushed by the ruling TDP-led coalition in the urban local body elections last week, performed better, winning 76 ZPTCs and 1,711 MPTCs.

The Congress drew a blank while CPI-M won one ZPTC and 15 MPTCs.

Six Independents emerged victorious in ZPTC polls while 162 Independents were elected in MPTC elections.

The ruling TDP-led coalition swept the polls in majority of the districts.

Out of 32 ZPTCs in Sri Sathya Sai district, TDP won 21 and YSRCP nine.

In Tirupati district, the TDP bagged 21 out of 31 seats. YSRCP stood second with six seats.

In YSR Kadapa, the home district of YSRCP Chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, his party could win only two out of 16 ZPTC seats.

The TDP bagged 12 seats and the remaining two were won by JSP.

TDP also won 26 out of 30 ZPTCs in SPSR Nellore district while YSRCP could win just two, continued their stellar performance in the elections to the Zilla and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs and MPTCs) after crushing the YSRCP in the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections.

The YSRCP leaders alleged that the counting of votes polled in the ZPTCs and MPTCs was fraught with irregularities, and the State Election Commission ignored their complaints.

YSRCP Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that irregularities continue to taint the local body elections under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

He claimed that like during the municipal election count, officials during the ZPTC and MPTC vote count were also pressured to manipulate results in several districts.

"Democracy is being undermined at every turn. Chandrababu Naidu may have won the election, but he has suffered a moral defeat. We may have lost the election, but we have won the hearts of the people," Jagan Mohan Reddy said.

"Power may help someone win an election, but it cannot earn the people's trust. Democracy may be suppressed, but the people's aspirations cannot be silenced. I salute our party leaders and workers—especially the women—who stood firm in defence of democracy despite obstacles, attacks and intimidation. We will continue this struggle with even greater determination," the former Chief Minister added.