YSRCP clean sweeps Parishad polls in Andhra Pradesh

The ruling YSRCP is continuing its election-winning streak in Andhra Pradesh and is headed for a massive victory in the Mandal and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency elections.

Till 7:30 pm, the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP has reportedly won 547 ZPTCs out of the declared 553 seats and 7,284 MPTCs out of 8,083.

Projecting the results as a clean-sweep, the YSRCP leaders pointed out that the main opposition TDP was trounced even in Kuppam, the assembly constituency represented by former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

The local body polls were held in April but the counting of votes was withheld on the orders of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The opposition TDP, Jana Sena parties had petitioned that due procedure was not followed by the State Election Commission in holding the elections. The court had last week allowed the declaration of results, following which the counting was taken up on Sunday.

Days ahead of the 8 April poll, Naidu had announced that the TDP would keep away from the Parishad polls, stating that they have lost faith in the poll process. Naidu, who is demanding a fresh election notification, had accused State Election Commissioner Nilam Sawhney of becoming a rubber stamp in the hands of the Reddy government.

The notification for the polls was issued in March last year by the then SEC Ramesh Kumar and nominations were also filed. The polls were not held at that time citing the spread of Covid-19 infections.

But despite Naidu's announcement, the TDP candidates remained in the fray in many places.

Following the results, Panchayati Raj and rural development minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said the outcome is indicative of the people's trust in Jagan's “welfare-oriented good governance.”

TDP leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy termed the YSRCP claims as 'laughable.' “The TDP boycotted the local body elections after its representation against the election irregularities fell on deaf ears. Everyone knows how the ruling party has resorted to threats, intimidation and has forced unanimous results in many places. They have blatantly misused the police and other official machinery,” said the former minister.

YSRCP minister Anil Kumar said that “the TDP staged a poll boycott drama anticipating the results.”

After winning 151 out of the 175 assembly seats and forming the government in 2019, the YSRCP has swept the urban and local body polls and also retained the Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency improving its victory margin.

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