Andhra Pradesh municipal polls: TDP wins big in Seemandhra, Congress bags most seats in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has put up a surprisingly strong showing to win a majority of municipalities and municipal corporations in Seemandhra region, while the Congress emerged winner in most of the seats in Telangana. In a setback to YSR Congress, TDP won a majority of the urban local bodies in Kadapa district, the home turf of the outfit’s founder YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. In Telangana, the TDP won the Gajwel municipality which houses the farmhouse of TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Even though the results of urban local bodies cannot be considered an exact indicator for assembly and Parliament elections, observers said they largely reflect the mood of urban voters.

Elections for 145 municipalities and 10 municipal corporations across Andhra Pradesh were held on March 30 and the results were announced on Monday. Of the 92 municipalities in Seemandhra, TDP won 65 municipalities and YSR Congress nineteen. Of the seven municipal corporations, TDP bagged five and YSR Congress two.

In the first ever elections in Telangana region after the announcement of state bifurcation, Congress was leading in two municipal corporations and 21 municipalities. TRS, which spearheaded the movement for a separate state, won one municipal corporation and eight municipalities. In the other municipalities no party won a clear majority. Tweeting from Singapore, TDP president Chandrababu Naidu said, “The Municipal & Corporation election results show TDP’s victory has mirrored peoples’ confidence towards development & effective governance.”

Terming that the victory in municipal elections gives the much-needed boost to TDP, editor of Praja Shakti newspaper of the CPI (Marxist), Telakapalli Ravi, said it might not guarantee similar show in general elections. “One should remember that TDP forged the alliance with BJP for general elections after the municipal polls. As a result, the prospects of TDP in general elections will depend on which side the minorities will tilt.”

The results were not completely unexpected, said YSR Congress spokesperson Gattu Ramachandra Rao, since TDP is known as an urban-centric party. “We are confident that the rural voters will elect YSR Congress in general election.”