The ruling YSR Congress Party swept the urban civic body polls in SPSR Nellore district winning comfortably in the Nellore Municipal Corporation and in Buchireddypalem Nagara Panchayat as the counting of votes, polled in the elections held on November 15, was taken up on Wednesday.
However, the Telugu Desam Party sprang a surprise on the YSRCP by scoring a facile victory in the Darsi Nagara Panchayat in neighbouring Prakasam district.
The YSRCP had a head start as eight of its division candidates won unopposed as TDP nominees withdrew their nominations at the eleventh hour, leaving in quandary the TDP which drew a blank as also other parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Jana Sena Party and Communist Party of India(Marxist).
State Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav, who handpicked the candidates and was in the thick of the poll campaign, ensured the party’s win in 46 of the 54 divisions in Nellore, in his home constituency. The poll officials, led by District Collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu, took up counting after 50% of the 4.12 lakh voters had exercised their franchise.
Dr.Anil Kumar thanked the people for reposing faith in the ruling party.
Landslide victory
In Buchireddypalem Nagara Panchayat, the YSRCP scored a landslide victory with its candidates bagging 18 wards leaving just two wards to the TDP.
Victory processions were banned and prohibitory orders under 144 Criminal Procedure Code clamped by Superintendent of Police Ch. Vijaya Rao, who oversaw the elaborate security arrangements put at the counting centre at the DK Government College for Women. The Collector thanked the candidates, agents, polling staff for the smooth completion of the elections.
However, in Prakasam district the YSRCP suffered a setback in Darsi as it could win only in 7 of the 20 wards at stake. The TDP Chairman nominee, N. Pichaiah, won comfortably from the eleventh ward and 12 other party candidates.
Upbeat over the poll results, TDP MLA Dola Balaveeranjaneya Swamy said the results showed that the countdown for the downfall of the YSRCP Government had started. TDP Ongole Lok Sabha unit president N. Balaji termed the TDP’s win in Darsi as “people’s victory”.
