Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) completed a clean sweep of ZPTC and MPTC elections as all the results were declared in the early hours of Monday. The party had bagged 505 of the 515 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and 5,998 of the 7,219 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs).
The results declared by State Election Commission (SEC) show YSRCP completely dominated the poll battle in all the districts. The ruling party bagged almost all the seats in nearly all the districts. The elections for the local bodies were held in April but the counting of votes was delayed due to court case.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court had last week given green signal for counting of votes and the same was taken up on Sunday morning. Out of total 659 ZPTCs, the election was unanimous for 126 seats while 11 candidates expired since March 2020 when the poll process had started. SEC withheld results in eight ZPTCs for various reasons.
While the polls were held for 515 ZPTCs, YSRCP won 505 seats. Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was a distant second with just six seats while Jana Sena of actor Pawan Klaynan won two seats. CPI-M and independents bagged a seat each.
YSRCP made a clean sweep in Chittoor, the home district of former chief minister and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu.
In Chittoor, YSRCP won all 33 seats for which elections were held. Similarly, it won all 34 seats in Nellore, 36 seats in Kurnool, 41 seats in Prakassam, 45 in Guntur, 37 in Srikakulam and 31 in Vizianagaram. In the remaining districts, opposition parties could win one or two seats.
In Kuppam Assembly constituency represente by Naidu, YSRCP all 4 ZPTCs and 98 percent MPTCs. The ruling party also won MPTC in Naravari Palli, the native village of Naidu.
YSRCP claimed that this landslide victory of YSRCP in Kuppam shows that even after two and a half years of rule, the influence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy remains unchanged.
YSRCP also bagged majority of MPTC seats. Out of 10,047 seats, the election was unanimous on 2,371 seats. Election was held for 7,219 seats. A total of 81 candidates expired since March 2020 while SEC withheld results of 355 seats.
YSRCP won 5,998 seats while TDP was at second place with 826 seats. Jana Sena bagged 177 seats while BJP won 28 seats. CPI-M won 15 seats, CPI 8, Congress 3 and others 157.
Andhra Pradesh High Court had last week allowed counting of votes in the elections held in April this year, bringing curtains on a process which began in March 2020.
The elections were held on April 8, 2021. A single judge on May 21 had cancelled ZPTC and MPTC elections while hearing a petition by a TDP leader that the four-week mandatory period of model code of conduct was not taken into consideration from the date of announcement of election scheduled to the conduct of elections. However, a division bench later stayed the order on an appeal filed by the state government and allowed SEC to take up counting of votes.
YSRCP, which came to power in May 2019, has made a clean sweep in elections held at all levels from Parliament and Assembly to municipal, panchayat and now ZPTCs and MPTCs.
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said that the victory in ZPTC and MPTC polls is seen as a vote for good governance which is mainly welfare-oriented and added that the Chief Minister has gained people’s trust by fulfilling election promises.
The minister said TDP, with the help of former state election commissioner, had indulged in several political conspiracies in regard to local body polls. He said former state election commissioner had postponed local body polls citing Covid only to favour TDP. He said the results of panchayat and municipal polls made it clear that people are not in support of TDP and Naidu started a new drama to boycott MPTC and ZPTC polls anticipating the humiliating defeat.
The YSRCP credited its dream run to the welfare initiatives undertaken by the Government and the continuous efforts of the administration to ensure that women and the backward communities (SC/ST/BC) and minorities are given at least 50 % of the nominated posts and contracts at all possible levels, thereby giving them the deserved representation at all levels.
The party leaders pointed out that 60% of the cabinet posts have been dedicated to these communities and 4 of the 5 deputy Chief Minister posts have also been given to the SC/ST/BC and minority communities. The Chief Minister’s mantra of delivering governance at the doorstep through his brainchild, the Village and Ward Secretariats, and Volunteer systems, fulfilling all promises made during elections and leaving the rest to the citizens has worked wonders for them.