NDA leads local bodies elections in Kurnool, Nandyal and Anantapur districts; YSRCP wins Nandikotur

Prathyusha receives the Certificate of Election after being elected the Mayor of Kurnool on Tuesday.

The NDA coalition parties had an upper hand in the elections to the urban local bodies in Kurnool, Nandyal and Anantapur districts, but the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) surprised the ruling party by winning one municipality and leading in another till the last reports came in.

In Anantapur district, the TDP was leading in five municipalities, but the YSRCP was ahead in the Anantapur Municipal Corporation (AMC) elections by a margin of over 2,000 by the end of two rounds. The BJP is contesting the AMC and is giving a tight fight. Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, Jana Sena Party (JSP) district president T.C. Varun and TDP local MLA Daggubati Venkateswara Prasad campaigned vigorously for the NDA, while YSRCP senior leader and district president Anantha Venkatarami Reddy took the party’s campaign on his shoulders. The large number of minority votes in the AMC limits is likely to tilt the result in favour of the YSRCP, according to local leaders.

Meanwhile, the TDP was leading the chairperson’s post in Rayadurgam, Kalyandurg, Gooty, Guntakal and Tadipatri, as well as councillor posts in these municipalities. TDP’s B. Lakshmi Thimmaraju won the Kalyandurgam municipal chairperson election with a majority of over 11,000 votes, while Reshma Parveen won the Tadipatri municipal chairperson post with over 24,800 votes.

In Kurnool Municipal Corporation (KMC), the TDP candidate, B. Vijaya Pratyusha, emerged the winner, while the NDA held majority of the 60 wards. In Guduru Nagar panchayat, the BJP won the chairperson post and the TDP secured the Yemmiganur municipality.

Lack of coordination and inability to persuade the rebels took a toll on the NDA in Adoni municipality. Leaders of all three coalition parties were in fray and Jana Sena Party (JSP) rebel candidate Swapna Nayagar won the seat against the YSRCP candidate.

The YSRCP, on the other hand, sprang a surprise by winning Nandikotkur municipality by over 2,800 votes. Nandyal MP Byreddy Shabari hails from Nandikotkur Assembly segment and the TDP is in power in the constituency. An active campaign by the YSRCP youth leader Byreddy Siddharth Reddy, however, tilted the fortunes in favour of the YSRCP, according to sources.

In Dhone, TDP’s Kotla Sujathamma won the chairperson seat and the party also won majority of wards, while the YSRCP is leading in Bethemcharla.