By Political Bureau, New Delhi Chronicle
Published: November 4, 2026
AMRAVATI: The political landscape of Andhra Pradesh has witnessed a monumental shift as the final declarations for the 2026 Andhra Pradesh urban local bodies elections confirm a historic landslide victory for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The ruling coalition, which includes the TDP, Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), completely swept the urban local bodies (ULBs), securing control over nearly all major municipal corporations and municipalities.
In a stark contrast to the 2021 civic polls where the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) held absolute dominance, the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party faced a comprehensive defeat, managing to retain just a single municipal corporation across the entire state. The Indian National Congress (INC) failed to win any major seats, remaining completely on the sidelines of this urban electoral battle.
NDA Sweeps the Corporations: Landslide in Key Urban Hubs
Out of the 13 premier Municipal Corporations in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP-led NDA coalition captured 12 seats, engineering a near-total clean sweep. The vote counting, which commenced on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, using paper ballots, highlighted a wave of anti-incumbency against the YSRCP in urban pockets.
- Vijayawada Municipal Corporation: The coalition asserted total dominance in Vijayawada. Out of 86 total wards, the alliance secured the vast majority, led by the TDP with 53 wards and the Jana Sena Party with 19 wards. The YSRCP was restricted to just 8 wards, while the BJP took 4, and the CPI(M) and an Independent won 1 each.
- Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC): The ruling alliance established a massive lead in the coastal metropolis. In the initial declarations released by the corporation, the NDA comfortably secured 51 out of 60 declared seats (TDP: 33, JSP: 15, BJP: 4).
- Guntur Municipal Corporation: The alliance comfortably took control of the civic body, with the TDP securing 48 divisions, the Jana Sena Party winning 13, and the BJP taking 3. The YSRCP managed only 11 divisions.
- Tirupati Municipal Corporation: TDP mayoral candidate Manne Srinivasa Prasad registered a decisive victory, defeating the YSRCP candidate by a massive margin of 30,972 votes.
Major mayoral triumphs were also finalized for the TDP in Chittoor (Kathari Hemalatha), Nellore (P. Roop Kumar Yadav), Machilipatnam, Kurnool, Eluru, Vizianagaram, and Kadapa. The Jana Sena Party achieved a historic milestone as its mayoral candidate recorded a sweeping win in Vijayawada, maintaining the party’s near-100% strike rate in the segments it contested.
YSRCP Suffers Severe Setback, Retains Anantapur
The election results marked a severe electoral debacle for the YSRCP, which had won all 13 municipal corporations in the 2021 local body elections. In this election, the party was largely wiped out from urban centres, managing to win only one mayoral post in the Anantapur Municipal Corporation.
Statewide ward statistics further emphasize the scale of the NDA’s victory. Out of 3,942 total contested municipal wards, the TDP secured over 2,410 seats, while the YSRCP was restricted to approximately 505 wards. The opposition party managed isolated victories in specific municipalities like Nandikotkur, Bethamcherla, and Naidupeta. In a significant symbolic loss, the TDP-led alliance registered a historic victory in the Pulivendula municipality, traditionally considered an impregnable bastion for Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Following the formal declaration of results, YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy leveled strong allegations against the state machinery. He accused the police and the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) of manipulating the electoral environment, calling the process “selections, not elections” and demanding comprehensive systemic electoral reforms.
Congress and Independent Candidates Stand Outcast
The Indian National Congress (INC), led state-side by Y.S. Sharmila, failed to present a formidable challenge in the urban local body polls. The party did not secure any notable municipal chairperson or corporation seats. While the INC extended tactical support to high-profile Independent candidates in select urban areas—including former IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao in Vijayawada—these candidates failed to disrupt the massive bipolar contest between the NDA and the YSRCP.
With the final gazette notifications being prepared by the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission, the NDA government under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has consolidated its administrative hold from the state assembly down to the grassroots urban governance level.
