GUNTUR: Against the expectations that the party would put up a tough fight in the civic polls, the Opposition TDP has lost all seven municipalities in Guntur district, and Guntur Municipal Corporation despite a rigorous campaign by party chief N Chandrababu Naidu. Two municipalites--Piduguralla and Macherla--were won unanimously by the ruling party. In the remaining five and GMC, which went to polls Wednesday, the TDP managed to secure a few seats unlike in many civic bodies.
In all, the YSRC won 247 out of the 285 wards in the district; 35 went to the TDP and the remaining three to the Jana Sena. Though a tightly-fought elections was expected for the GMC, the TDP could secure only nine seats even as the YSRC bagged 44; two each went to independents and the JSP. The YSRC’s Kavati Manohar Naidu, tipped to be the next mayor, won with the highest margin of 3,814 votes. In the six wards where it performed better, the TDP got only a slender victory margin of 100 to 200 votes.
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Manohar Naidu said the victory showed that the people are content with the governance of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his welfare schemes. Like in the GMC, the TDP’s performance in the municipalities was also dismal. In Repalle, it won just two of the 28 wards as 25 of them went to the YSRC.