VIJAYAWADA: Results of the byelections to panchayat sarpanch and ward member posts held on Saturday, have indicated that candidates supported by the YSRC have won with a comfortable majority. With the general elections another eight months away, the panchayat byelection results, though held apolitically, have given a shot in the arm to the ruling YSRC. However, the opposition TDP on the other hand claimed that most of the winning candidates in the byelections were supported by it.
In all, 66 sarpanch posts were vacant due to the death of incumbents or the resignation of the posts for various reasons. Elections were not held for two seats due to various reasons. Out of 64 posts that went to elections, 30 were unanimous and elections were held for 34 on Saturday. YSRC supporters bagged 23 sarpanch posts out of the total 34, while TDP supporters got 10 and Jana Sena Party supporters one seat. YSRC leaders claimed that their supporters have won a total of 53 sarpanch posts, including those where the elections were unanimous.
As regard to ward member posts, a total of 1,062 were vacant. Of the total, 756 ward members were elected unanimously. Elections were postponed for 63 seats due to various reasons. The byelections were held for 243 ward member posts. Along with the unanimous outcome, candidates backed by YSRC secured 810 ward member posts, while 182 went to those who were supported by TDP and seven to those backed by Jana Sena Party.
Interestingly, the ruling party claimed that out of the six ward member posts in the Kuppam Assembly constituency, which is represented by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, five were won by those supported by the YSRC, while only one seat was bagged by the candidate backed by the TDP.
Commenting on the results of panchayat byelections in the State on his official Twitter handle, YSRC State convener V Vijayasai Reddy said, “Yet again it has been proved that be it any election, there is no stopping for YSRC’s fan symbol. Our party has once again proved it in the panchayat by-elections, bagging 85 per cent of seats. Candidates supported by us won the maximum number of seats, including in Kuppam. This is a clear indication of what the result will be in 2024, which is a clean sweep.”On the other hand, Naidu claimed, “It is a victory of TDP, which indicates the public wrath against the ruling YSRC.”