Panchayat bypoll results deal shocker to YSRCP
East Godavari Collector K Madhavi Latha verifying the voters’ list at the ZP High School at Palla Kadiyam village near Rajanagaram in East Godavari district during the panchayat bypolls on Saturday
Vijayawada: The byelections for 35 sarpanches and 245 ward members in Andhra Pradesh had sprung surprise results as a large number of candidates supported by TDP and Jana Sena had won the bypolls.
The districts where TDP and Jana Sena won in good numbers are West Godavari, Guntur, Nellore, Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, old Prakasam and Krishna district. The fight in most of the seats was neck and neck and in a couple of seats. The YSRCP candidates had won with a majority of just one vote that too after some recounting. This led to some tense moments as the TDP alleged that the results declared were not correct and demanded another round of recounting.
Tension prevailed in some parts of the state as the YSRCP and the TDP workers clashed during the polling. In Eluru district, arguments broke out between Nuzvid DSP Ashok Goud and former Denduluru MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar during the polling at Veeramma kunta panchayat when the DSP did not allow Prabhakar to visit the polling booth.
The DSP said there was a rowdy sheet on the former MLA and hence he would not allow him to the polling booth in Veeramma Kunta panchayat. These vacancies had arisen due to the death or resignation of the elected representatives.
In Anakapalli district, byelections were held in eight village panchayats. TDP supported candidates had won in three places while YSRCP supported candidates won in five village panchayats.
In Alluri Sitaramaraju district, elections were held in four village panchayats. The TDP and YSRCP supporters won at two places each. In West Godavari district, candidates supported by the TDP won at five panchayats and candidates supported by the YSRCP won at five panchayats. In Palnadu district, the TDP and YSRCP supported candidates won in four panchayats each. In Krishna district, candidates supported by Telugu Desam Party won at three panchayats Polavaram village of Guduru mandal, Kakarlamudi village of Pedana mandal and Gandigunta village of Penamaluru assembly constituency.
While the mood in TDP and Jana Sena camps is upbeat, the YSRCP feels such results could cause a dent to the image of the party and the public perception as the Assembly elections are about six months away in case they are not advanced.