Seat-Sharing Disputes Emerge Within Andhra Pradesh’s Ruling Alliance

Seat-sharing disagreements have emerged among the ruling alliance partners in Andhra Pradesh following the completion of nominations for local body elections. Candidates from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are contesting against one another for mayoral and municipal chairperson posts, as well as ward and division seats. According to the supplied report, alliance candidates are competing for mayoral posts in three municipal corporations and chairperson positions in 19 municipalities and nagar panchayats. Disputes have been reported in Vijayawada, Kurnool, Vizianagaram, Eluru and Visakhapatnam, where the allocation of wards and divisions has remained contentious. In some places, multiple candidates from the same party have also filed nominations.

The disagreements extend to towns including Ichchapuram, Palasa, Salur, Parvathipuram, Palakonda, Nellimarla, Ramachandrapuram, Gudur, Yerraguntla, Done and Adoni. Similar contests have been reported in Tiruvuru, Nandigama and Jaggayyapeta, where party members have filed nominations against their own party’s official candidates. Anantapur, Narsipatnam, Yelamanchili, Giddalur, Penukonda and Tirupati are among the other places facing disputes between alliance partners. With ward and division allocations unresolved in several areas, rebel candidates have added to the challenge. Party leaders are expected to work towards resolving differences and persuading dissatisfied candidates to withdraw their nominations within the stipulated withdrawal period.