TDP, YSRCP's conflicting claims on 3rd phase poll results

Amaravati: Following the third phase of panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh, political parties have resumed their own calculations on the number of sarpanch posts they won. The Telugu Desam Party claimed that it bagged 1,069 sarpanch posts while the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) claimed that it breached the Kuppam fortress.

According to TDP, the opposition party won 1,069 sarpanch posts compared to YSRCP's 1,393 and Janasena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance's eight victories by 12.30 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Contradicting the TDP's claims, YSRCP leaders claimed that the ruling party won 2,442 sarpanch posts, compared to TDP's 501 and others winning 145, out of a total of 3,221 sarpanch posts.

As per YSRCPs calculations, 579 sarpanch posts went for unanimous elections in the third phase of the four phase panchayat polls.

YSRCP leaders have also claimed that the ruling party supporters won the majority sarpanch posts in Kuppam constituency, represented by former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu for decades.

The ruling party leaders claimed that YSRCP aligned candidates won 74 sarpanch posts out of 89 in Kuppam constituency, relegating TDP supporters to only 14 panchayats.

The TDP leaders have been bagging the constituency in Assembly elections since 1985 and Naidu first won it in 1989.

Naidu won Kuppam seven times at a stretch, including serving as chief minister for three terms.

YSRCP candidates won sarpanch posts in Gudipalle, Adavibadaguru, Urlobanapalle and others which were known to be mostly belonging to TDP supporters.

In the panchayats where TDP won, YSRCP leaders alleged that the margin was wafer thin.

Despite the conflicting claims by both the parties, cadres from both sides indulged in fireworks to celebrate their 'triumph'.