The candidates supported by the YSRCP continued their winning spree with an overwhelming majority in the third phase of the panchayat elections in the south coastal districts of Nellore and Prakasam.
In Nellore, it was a repeat of the performance of the YSRCP in the 2019 general elections, as the candidates backed by the ruling party won 207 panchayats hands down in the Assembly segments of Gudur, Sullurpeta and Venkatagiri. The candidates backed by the TDP garnered the sarpanch posts only in 63 panchayats in these Assembly segments.
BJP MLC Vakati Narayana Reddy’s mother Vakati Bujamma won the sarpanch seat in Chenigunta, near Tada in the elections held on a non-party basis on Wednesday.
In Prakasam, 201 candidates backed by the YSRCP won sarpanch posts while the TDP had to be content with just 47.
In Kondepi Assembly segment, which remained a bastion of teh TDP for several terms, the YSRCP-sponsored candidates bagged the sarpanch posts in 58 panchayats. The TDP-supported nominees could retain the posts only in 15 panchayats.
In Kanigiri Assembly segment, the candidates backed by the ruling party bagged 90 sarpanch posts when compared to the TDP’s tally of 20. The candidates selected by Kadukur YSRCP MLA M. Mahidhar Reddy emerged victorious in 53 panchayats while those backed by the TDP bagged 12 panchayat in the Assembly segment.
‘Official machinery misused’
Referring to the poll results, former Union Minister Panabaka Lakshmi, who is TDP nominee for the byelection to the Tirupati Lok Sabha seat, said the YSRCP had allegedly misused the official machinery and threatened the people to stop the benefits of welfare schemes if they did not vote in favour of the candidates backed by the party.
“People are looking for a change. This will get reflected in the future elections, including the Tirupati bypoll,” she said.
