The TDP seems to have lost much of its ground both in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts, which are considered its bastions since inception.
In spite of facing many ups and downs in the last 30 years, its network in the rural areas has always been intact as has been seen despite its drubbing in the 1989, 2004, 2009 and 2019 general elections.
However, the recent ZPTC and MPTC elections threw a completely different picture.
The TDP had lost all the 34 ZPTC seats in Vizianagaram district, and managed to win only 86 out of 487 MPTC seats.
While the YSRCP emerged victorious in 487 seats, other parties and Independents bagged the remaining.
The election results in Srikakulam district were no different for the opposition party.
It was defeated in all 37 ZPTC seats for which elections were held. The election had to be postponed in one seat following the death of a candidate.
Out of 667 MPTC seats, the YSRCP had won 557. The TDP was confined to only 83 seats. The remaining seats had gone to the JSP, the BJP and Independents.
Debacle in Tekkali
The Tekkali Assembly constituency has always been the TDP’s citadel with the presence of the Kinjarapu family. In spite of the wave in favour of the YSRCP, the TDP could retain Srikakulam Lok Sabha and Tekkali Assembly seats in the 2019 elections.
However, the party lost here in the parishad elections. The TDP’s call to boycott the elections was said to be another reason for its debacle.
Meanwhile, the YSRCP MLAs and leaders are in a jubilant mood.
“Almost all sections of society are happy with the YSRCP government. There will no political life for the TDP in the State in the near future. The YSRCP will win almost all the 175 Assembly seats in the 2024 elections,” says K. Srinivasa Rao, Sringavarapukota MLA.
“People have completely rejected the TDP as they understood that development and welfare are possible only with the YSRCP,” says A. Jogarao, Parvatipuram MLA.
