Vizianagaram: Independents get one vote each; spouses seemingly stay away

Vizianagaram : Believe it or not, two independent candidates got one vote each in Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation (VMC) polls fueling speculation that even their spouses did not vote for them.

Velluri Venkata Trinadha Rao, who contested from the Ward no 4, got one vote. Likewise, Korada Sobhalakshmi, who contested from ward no 7, which was reserved for BC women, got one vote. Sources said this could be a sort of history in the AP electoral history. Even four TD candidates also surprised many by losing their deposits along with many BJP and Congress candidates.

They include Velecheti Mani Kumari who contested from ward no 2. She polled 198 votes against winning YSRC candidate Bandaru Ananda Rao who polled 1668 votes. Dumpa Venkatagowri polled 202 votes, while his opponent YSRC candidate Meesala Rama Devi polled 1145.

S Gokul Das polled 188 votes, while his closest rival YSRC candidate Potnuru Srinivas Rao got 1846 on the SC general category seat. Gondela Durga Prasanna polled 91 votes against YSRC Bhogapurapu Lakshmi who secured 1905 votes on women general category seat.

A rebel candidate said around 20 TDP candidates narrowly escaped losing their deposits. The YSRC won 48 wards of the total 50, TDP and Independent one each.

A senior leader, who fell out with the former minister and TDP politburo member P Ashok Gajapati Raju, said there was no coordination among the leaders, and Ashok and his daughter Adithi took a unilateral decision in selecting the candidates.

"In 20 wards, the senior party candidates refused to contest and as a result, unknown faces were fielded. No wonder the elections ended in a disaster," he said.

TDP whitewashed, YSRC wins all 11 municipal corporations

It was a virtual YSRC Tsunami in Andhra Pradesh civic polls as the party captured 11 Municipal Corporations and 75 Municipalities for which the results were declared on Sunday.

YSRC's victories particularly in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur cities were a big setback to the principal opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The ruling party had left the rival parties including the TDP shell-shocked by winning all 11 municipal corporations and 75 municipal towns.

TDP's score could not even touch the double-digit in many towns. TDP's however, performed better in GVMC where it won 30 out of a total of 98 wards.

Jana Sena-BJP combine was decimated in the polls. YSRC's grand show in the recently held village panchayat elections had set the tone for the party's victory march in the urban elections. Although, YSRC looked formidable in the majority of the cities and towns, TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu took the municipal elections seriously as he wanted to prove that he still commands over the urban electorate.

YSRC's stupendous victory in the municipal elections had surpassed its scores in the assembly elections held almost two years ago and panchayat elections held last month. The YSRC won nearly 85 percent of the seats in the assembly in the 2019 elections, while it bagged over 83 percent of the panchayats held on a non-party basis. However, Jagan consolidated his grip in urban areas where the party had a perfect score.

The YSRC attributed the resounding victory to the faith people reposed in the leadership of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who "lives up to his promises" and implemented a welfare agenda in the last 22 months. The ruling party also claimed the verdict was an endorsement of the government's decision to have three different capitals for the state.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, in a tweet, told his party rank and file there was "nothing to be disappointed" with the results. "We fought well despite rowdyism, threats, intimidation, abuse of power, and inducements," he claimed.

TDP failed to make a mark in either Vijayawada or Guntur municipal corporations, which form part of the current capital region Amaravati, where people have been opposing the capital trifurcation plan.