The bloc was leading in six municipalities. Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led alliance won seven of the 13 municipal corporations and was leading in another five in the early hours of Wednesday. It bagged 75 out of 86 municipalities and nagar panchayats.
In YSR Kadapa district, the party’s bastion and the home district of its president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the party suffered a major setback. “We accept it with humility as the people’s blessing for the good governance of the last two and a half years. YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the TDP-led alliance government, police and the state election commission of manipulating the municipal election process. He alleged that polling agents were obstructed or forced to withdraw, while the polling percentage was manipulated and counting was hijacked. “You selected the candidates; the people never elected them!
The Opposition Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), which won all 13 municipal corporations in 2021, appeared set to win one (Anantapur municipal corporation).
TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao said the sweeping results are a clear reflection of the people’s faith in the leadership of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his deputy Pawan Kalyan and minister Nara Lokesh, besides the state BJP leadership. In a post on X, Lokesh said the verdict is a mandate to serve, not to celebrate. These are no longer elections but selections!” he said. He called for electoral reforms and said the alleged irregularities made the need for changes to the electoral system more evident.
