TDP Wins Historic ZPTC Battle in YSRCP Family Bastion; Jagan Alleges Poll Malpractice
In a major political setback, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has suffered a humiliating defeat in the Pulivendula Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) by-poll — a seat the party had dominated unopposed for nearly three decades.
Historic Loss in Pulivendula
- TDP candidate Latha Reddy defeated YSRCP’s Hemanth Reddy by 6,035 votes.
- The YSRCP candidate polled fewer than 700 votes, losing his election deposit.
- This is the first contested election for the Pulivendula ZPTC seat in almost 30 years.
- The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) celebrated the win as “Pulivendula’s independence” a day before Independence Day.
Political Significance
- Pulivendula ZPTC falls within the Pulivendula Assembly constituency, a family stronghold of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
- The Assembly seat has been held by Jagan since 2014, and before that by his late father YS Rajasekhara Reddy, his mother YS Vijayamma, and other family members.
- Minister for Backward Classes Welfare S Savitha predicted the TDP would capture the Pulivendula Assembly seat in 2029.
More Trouble in Vontimitta
- Jagan Reddy also faces likely defeat in Vontimitta ZPTC, where:
- TDP’s Muddu Krishna Reddy: 6,270 votes
- YSRCP’s Iragamreddy Subbareddy: fewer than 3,200 votes
Jagan’s Allegations of Malpractice
Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded both Pulivendula and Vontimitta by-polls be cancelled and re-conducted under central security forces, citing:
- Intimidation: Booth agents forced to leave polling stations.
- Voter coercion: People bullied into voting for TDP.
- Suspect votes: Estimated 10,600 votes across 15 booths in question.
- Police misconduct: Around 700 police personnel allegedly “terrorised voters.”
- Booth shifting: Claimed as a tactic to confuse or discourage voters.
“Cancel the two elections and re-conduct them under central forces’ protection,” Jagan declared, adding that the YSRCP will move court to challenge the results.
Political Fallout
The defeat in Pulivendula is more than just a local setback — it strikes at the political legacy of the YSR family and could shift the power dynamics in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the next Assembly elections.
The Pulivendula by-poll defeat marks a rare political blow for Jagan Mohan Reddy in his family’s Andhra Pradesh stronghold, signaling shifting voter sentiment that could reshape the state’s political landscape ahead of 2029
