The Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led alliance has registered a sweeping victory in Andhra Pradesh's Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) elections, with the State Election Commission (SEC) releasing the latest figures on Saturday night as counting continued.
According to the SEC's 9 pm update, the alliance comprising the TDP, Jana Sena Party and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 273 of the 582 ZPTC seats for which results had been declared. It had also secured 5,597 of the 7,767 MPTC seats.
The TDP accounted for the overwhelming majority of the alliance's victories, winning 229 ZPTC and 4,823 MPTC seats, including those declared unopposed. Its ally, the Jana Sena Party, won 36 ZPTC and 644 MPTC seats, while the BJP secured eight ZPTC and 130 MPTC seats.
The results marked a major setback for the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which had managed to win only 20 ZPTC and 1,050 MPTC seats by the time of the update.
TDP dominates both territorial constituency polls
The TDP's lead was particularly pronounced in the MPTC elections, where its tally of 4,823 seats was substantially higher than the YSRCP's 1,050. The Jana Sena Party finished second among the alliance partners with 644 seats, followed by the BJP with 130.
A similar pattern emerged in the ZPTC results. The TDP won 229 seats, while the Jana Sena Party secured 36 and the BJP eight. The YSRCP managed 20 seats, while one went to an independent candidate.
Among the notable victories, the TDP won the Pulivendula ZPTC seat, considered the home constituency of YSRCP chief and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Its candidate B Bharathi defeated her rival by 1,463 votes. The TDP also registered a victory in Mydukur, where its candidate Krishna Kishore won by a margin of 18,903 votes.
The alliance recorded a strong performance in Ponnur mandal of Guntur district as well, winning all 16 MPTC seats. The TDP secured all 13 seats it contested, while the Jana Sena Party won all three seats it contested.
Polling, unopposed victories and repolling
Andhra Pradesh has 659 ZPTC seats, of which 77 were declared unanimous on October 27. Of the state's MPTC seats, 2,051 were also declared unanimous on the same day. Three MPTC seats had no nominations, leaving 9,818 seats with candidates.
Polling for 577 ZPTCs and 7,707 MPTCs was held on November 5. Voting in five ZPTCs and 60 MPTCs was postponed to November 6 because of the cyclone.
Repolling was also conducted at seven polling stations across Anantapur, Kurnool, Markapuram, Palnadu and Srikakulam districts following reports of electoral malpractices.
The elections recorded a voter turnout of 70.72%, according to reports. Counting began at 8 am on Saturday at 365 centres across the state, with postal ballots taken up first. More than 21,000 candidates had contested the seats that went to the polls.
The SEC's 9 pm figures were released while counting was still underway. The alliance's commanding lead across both categories of territorial constituencies, however, underscored the scale of its performance and the setback for the YSRCP.