Andhra Pradesh Civic Polls: Vote Counting Underway; High Court Allows Counting in Jagan's Pulivendula

Counting of votes for the Andhra Pradesh municipal elections began on Tuesday across 92 urban local bodies, setting the stage for a crucial political contest between the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led NDA alliance and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). A major development came from Pulivendula, the political stronghold of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, where the Andhra Pradesh High Court gave the green signal for vote counting after dismissing petitions seeking fresh polling across all municipal wards.

The petitions were filed by YSRCP MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy and the party's chairperson candidate, Y.S. Pramila, who had challenged the polling process and sought a stay on counting until fresh elections were conducted. However, the court's decision allowed the election authorities to proceed with the counting exercise.

According to election officials, counting began at 8 am at designated centres across the state. The elections cover 13 municipal corporations and 79 municipalities and nagar panchayats. Polling was held on November 1, recording an overall voter turnout of 60.96 per cent. Repolling was subsequently conducted in 12 wards across seven urban local bodies in five districts following complaints of irregularities. The repoll recorded a turnout of 60.64 per cent.

The State Election Commission made arrangements at 138 counting centres and deployed around 47,817 personnel to oversee the process. A total of 520 candidates contested mayoral and chairperson positions, while more than 10,100 candidates were in the fray for corporator and councillor posts. Counting in parts of Prakasam and Bapatla districts was rescheduled from 8 am to 11.30 am due to heavy rainfall and strong winds associated with Cyclone Murasu. The decision was taken following requests from district administrations, which cited difficulties in transportation and the movement of counting personnel.

The municipal elections are being closely monitored as an important political test for the TDP-led NDA government under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The results will also be significant for the YSRCP as it seeks to rebuild its political position following its defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections. Pulivendula has emerged as one of the key centres of attention because of its association with Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSRCP. The High Court's decision to allow counting is expected to bring clarity to the electoral process in the municipality, where the opposition had raised objections over polling arrangements.

The results across Andhra Pradesh are expected to provide an indication of the political mood at the grassroots level and the relative strength of the major parties in urban areas. The final outcome will determine control of several municipal bodies and provide both the ruling alliance and the opposition with an opportunity to assess their organisational strength ahead of future electoral contests.

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