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Andhra Pradesh Municipal Election 2021: YSRC sweeps 34 of 75 municipalities, TDP yet to make a mark
The YSRC’s victory on 34 seats includes Pulivendula, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s home constituency, Punganuru, Piduguralla, and Macherla municipalities where the candidates had already won 'unopposed'.
The ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress (YSRC) Party has won 34 out of 75 municipalities and the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is yet to open its account as results of the civic body elections in Andhra Pradesh started pouring in on Sunday. The local body polls were being seen as a crucial test for the YSRC, which aimed to retain its hold in the state and an opportunity for the TDP to regain its lost ground.
The YSRC’s victory on 34 seats includes Pulivendula, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s home constituency, Punganuru, Piduguralla, and Macherla municipalities where the candidates had already won 'unopposed' before the polls on Wednesday.
Counting of votes was underway in the state for polls to 581 divisions in 12 municipal corporations and 1,632 wards in 71 municipalities and nagar panchayats amid tight security. While the elections to the gram panchayats held in four phases in February were on a non-party basis, the urban local body polls, i.e. for municipalities, nagar panchayats, and municipal corporations, were held on a party basis.
A voter turnout of 70.66% was recorded in the municipal polls held on Wednesday, according to State Election Commission (SEC) officials. “There was enthusiastic participation of voters in the polling process. Women, old people and physically challenged people, too, exercised their franchise in large numbers,” an official of SEC said.
TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, however, alleged YSRCP leaders attacked his party's workers to prevent free and fair elections.
Meanwhile, voting was also underway for the biennial election to the Legislative Council, in East-West Godavari and Krishna-Guntur Teachers’ constituencies on Sunday. As many as 30 candidates are in the fray.
Last week, the YSRCP won all six seats in the state legislative council without any election, which takes its count in the 58-member council to 20.
