India

TDP Alliance Secures Majority of Unopposed Rural Seats in Andhra Pradesh

By Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led alliance won a majority of the 659 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) seats in Andhra Pradesh that were decided without contest. Of the 77 seats (11.68%) that were declared unopposed, the alliance captured 76, representing nearly 99% of all unanimous victories. The TDP secured 71 of these seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won three, and Jana Sena won two. The opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) won only one unopposed seat, in the Pyapili ZPTC constituency of the Dhone assembly area in Nandyal district.

The final day for withdrawal of nominations was Tuesday, during which several YSRCP candidates and rebel nominees from alliance parties withdrew. As a result, many constituencies had only one candidate, who was then declared elected unopposed.

The alliance also achieved unanimous victories in most of the 1,830 mandal parishad territorial constituencies (MPTCs) out of 9,829 seats statewide. Polling for the remaining seats is scheduled for November 3, with counting and declaration of results on November 5.

In YSR Kadapa district, a stronghold of YSRCP president and former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the alliance secured 23 of 39 ZPTC seats unopposed (about 59%). In Pulivendula assembly constituency, represented by Jagan Mohan Reddy, the alliance won three of seven ZPTCs—Simhadripuram, Chakrayapeta, and Tondur—without an election. The TDP also won five of six ZPTCs in the neighbouring Kamalapuram assembly constituency, with Jana Sena taking the remaining seat.

In the MPTC elections, the alliance dominated Pulivendula, securing 64 of 65 seats unopposed; the BJP won two of these seats, and the remaining unanimous victories went to the TDP. The alliance also secured 20 of 40 wards in the Pulivendula municipality unopposed.