The YSR Congress Party continued its winning streak as the candidates supported by it bagged the sarpanch post in more than 80% of the panchayats in the six Assembly segments in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh that went to polls on Sunday.
While in Nellore, candidates backed by the ruling party won in 142 out of 181 seats in the fourth and last phase of local body elections, the candidates won the sarpanch post in 185 out of 208 villages that went to polls in Prakasam district on Sunday.
The TDP-sponsored candidates were able to win the village-head post in 23 places in the Assembly segments of Markapur, Giddalur and Yerragondapalem, presently represented by the YSRCP in the State Assembly.
The candidates hand-picked by YSRCP Nellore district party president Kakani Govardhan Reddy were successful in 102 villages in his home constituency of Sarvepalli. In the Kovur Assembly segment, the followers of sitting YSRCP MLA Nallapareddy Prasanna Kumar bagged the post in 49 places, while the nominees selected by sitting Nellore(Rural) MLA Kottamreddy Sridhar Reddy won all the 17 sarpanch seats at stake. The TDP-backed aspirants were successful in bagging the post in 29 villages. The BJP-backed candidates won in two villages in Sarvepalli Assembly segment.
‘All thanks to pro-poor policies’
The results showed that ruling YSRCP had the blessings of the people thanks to the pro-poor policies of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in the State, Mr. Govardhan Reddy said, adding that the minuscule number of sarpanch seats won by the TDP-backed candidates was only because of the presence of YSRCP rebels in the fray.
Meanwhile, TDP Ongole Lok Sabha unit president N.Balaji said the TDP-backed candidates had performed better despite the alleged misuse of official machinery by the ruling party.
