Published Nov 04, 2026 | 2:35 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 04, 2026 | 2:35 PM
BC Welfare Minister Savitha celebrates the victory of TDP-led alliance candidates in Penukonda Municipality, Sri Sathya Sai district.
Synopsis: The YSRCP securing the Mayor posts in all 13 corporations in 2021 demonstrated the party’s political dominance in urban areas. However, it is noteworthy that the trend of results shifted in favor of the coalition government in the elections held five years later. Specifically, Jana Sena candidates were in the fray in Vijayawada and Eluru, and a BJP candidate in Anantapur, while TDP candidates contested on behalf of the NDA in the remaining corporations.
The results of the Andhra Pradesh urban local body elections reflect the political transformation that has taken place in the state over the past six years. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which displayed undisputed dominance in the 2021 municipal elections, suffered a severe setback in the 2026 polls.
While urban voters handed a massive victory to the YSRCP in 2021, the very same electorate delivered a verdict in favor of the alliance five years later.
The TDP emerged as the single largest party, while the Jana Sena Party (JSP) significantly increased its representation. The BJP, as part of the alliance, also secured seats in several regions.
Also Read: Jana Sena expands urban footprint as NDA dominates Andhra Pradesh local body polls
In the municipal elections held in March and November 2021, the YSRCP registered a landslide victory. Scheduled for 2020, the local body polls were delayed by a year due to COVID-19. Out of the results declared for 3,120 wards across 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities and nagar panchayats in the state, the YSRCP captured 2,556 seats.
The TDP finished second with 429 seats. Independent candidates won 90 seats, while Jana Sena secured 30, BJP 7, CPI 4, and CPI(M) 2 seats. The Congress and other parties won one seat each.
YSRCP’s dominance in 2021 was even more evident in the municipal corporations. Out of the results declared for 724 divisions, the YSRCP won 616 seats.
The TDP had to settle for 81 seats, while Jana Sena won 7 and the BJP managed just one seat. Winning all 11 major corporations that went to polls at that time stood as a testament to the YSRCP’s supremacy.
In 2021, the government also announced cash incentives for municipalities that achieved unanimous elections.
Those elections also witnessed large-scale violent incidents, and polling was one-sided in many places. The YSRCP maintained the upper hand in municipalities and nagar panchayats as well, winning 1,940 seats combined across both categories. The TDP won 348 seats, Jana Sena 23, and BJP 6.
Overall, the YSRCP proved its firm grip over urban local bodies.
In the 2026 municipal elections, however, the political equations changed completely. In the results declared following the counting of votes on November 3, the alliance of TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP displayed a clear lead.
According to data available on the morning of November 4, results for 3,507 seats were out, while results and final official declarations for the remaining 435 seats were still awaited.
In these results, the TDP stood in the top spot with 2,356 seats. Jana Sena won 440 seats and the BJP secured 137. Together, the three parties captured 2,933 seats. On the other hand, the YSRCP was confined to 493 seats. Independent candidates won 70 seats, CPI 6, and CPI(M) 5.
The YSRCP, which won 2,556 seats in the previous elections, was reduced to 493 seats in the latest polls. The TDP grew from 429 to 2,356 seats, while Jana Sena increased its representation from 30 to 440 seats, and the BJP from 7 to 137 seats.
Compared to 2021, the number of wards in corporations and municipalities increased due to delimitation. While results for 3,120 wards were declared in 2021, the election process in 2026 was conducted for a total of 3,942 seats.
Also Read: Andhra civic polls: Jagan cries foul as TDP-led NDA bulldozes YSRCP in YS pocket boroughs
In 2021, the municipal corporations were swept by the YSRCP, which bagged 616 out of 724 divisions, leaving TDP with 81, Jana Sena with 7, and BJP with just one seat.
In 2026, out of the results declared for 720 corporation divisions, the TDP won 477 seats, Jana Sena 106, and BJP 33. The YSRCP was restricted to 87 seats, while independents won 16 and CPI(M) won one seat.
Within a span of five years, YSRCP’s representation in corporations dropped from 616 to 87, whereas TDP’s strength in corporation wards and divisions rose from 81 to 477. This highlights the shift in urban politics. Jana Sena also substantially increased its strength in the corporations.
In the municipalities in 2021, the YSRCP won 1,803 seats while the TDP settled for 299, Jana Sena won 18, and BJP 5.
In 2026, out of the results declared for 2,548 municipal wards, the TDP won 1,728 seats, Jana Sena 301, and BJP 101.
The YSRCP was limited to 363 seats. Independents won in 45 wards, CPI in 6, and CPI(M) in 4.
In nagar panchayats as well, the TDP won 151 seats, Jana Sena 33, and BJP 3, while the YSRCP was restricted to 43 seats.
In the 2026 elections, alliance candidates achieved strong results in the state’s major municipal corporations.
Candidates from the coalition parties registered key victories in cities such as Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati, Kadapa, Chittoor, Nellore, Machilipatnam, Eluru, Kurnool, Ongole, and Vizianagaram.
The TDP winning 51 out of 60 divisions in Chittoor Corporation stood out as a special highlight. In the 66-seat Tirupati Corporation, the TDP won 38 seats, Jana Sena 19, and BJP 3, leaving the YSRCP with only three seats.
The election of Jana Sena candidate Vangaveeti Radhakrishna as the Mayor of Vijayawada emerged as a major political development in these polls.
In Eluru as well, Jana Sena candidate Reddy Appala Naidu emerged victorious. TDP candidate Kovelamudi Lakshmi Aparna in Guntur and TDP candidate Mannem Srinivasa Prasad in Tirupati secured the Mayor posts.
In Visakhapatnam, TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP candidates won a significant number of divisions. TDP candidates also secured a majority in corporations like Machilipatnam, Nellore, Kurnool, Ongole, Kadapa, and Vizianagaram. Notably, YSRCP candidate B.C. Ramesh Goud won in the Anantapur Corporation.
Also Read: Andhra Pradesh urban local body polls: TDP-led NDA sweeps Kuppam, Macherla and Yemmiganur
Constituencies like Pulivendula, Punganur, and Pithapuram stood out among the areas where the YSRCP suffered a severe political blow in the 2026 elections.
In Pulivendula, the home constituency of YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, TDP candidate Thugutla Geetha won with a majority of 13,875 votes. In the elections held for 20 wards there, the alliance won 17 seats, and its strength increased further when combined with the unanimous seats.
The YSRCP faced a setback in Punganur as well. In Pithapuram Municipality, the alliance secured 25 out of 36 wards, with Jana Sena winning 19, TDP 5, and BJP 1. In Gollaprolu Nagar Panchayat, Jana Sena demonstrated its dominance by winning 13 out of 23 wards.
However, the alliance did not have the upper hand everywhere. In Nandikotkur Municipality, the YSRCP proved its hold by winning 23 out of 32 wards. A YSRCP candidate winning by a margin of just a single vote in Dharmavaram reflected the nail-biting suspense of the elections.
The victories achieved by Jana Sena in the 2026 municipal elections gained special political significance.
Confined to just 30 wards in 2021, the party won 440 seats in 2026. Along with securing the Mayor posts in corporations like Vijayawada and Eluru, it also proved its strength in towns such as Pithapuram, Gollaprolu, Pedana, and Tenali.
The electoral understanding with the TDP and coordination among candidates on behalf of the alliance helped Jana Sena increase its representation in urban local bodies. The BJP also achieved better results compared to the past by winning 137 seats.
Another crucial change in these elections was seen in the method of electing Mayors and Municipal Chairpersons. While elected corporators and councillors chose the Mayors and Chairpersons from among themselves in 2021, the public voted directly for these posts in 2026.
According to figures available on the morning of November 4, out of 65 Mayor and Chairperson posts declared across 100 local bodies, the TDP won 46, Jana Sena 13, and BJP 3.
The YSRCP got two posts and an independent candidate won one. Results for the remaining posts were yet to be declared at that time.
While the opposition TDP was restricted to just Tadipatri, Darsi, and Kondapalli municipalities in 2021, the YSRCP was similarly confined to just 3 municipalities in 2026.
The YSRCP, which won 97 percent of urban local bodies in 2021, was reduced to one corporation and three municipalities five years later, whereas the then-opposition formed an alliance today to capture over 90 percent of the urban seats.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
