Negotiations among Andhra Pradesh’s ruling NDA partners over seat-sharing for the upcoming local body elections have intensified, with a joint announcement on the constituencies to be contested expected by Sunday night or Monday, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has held discussions with Jana Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and BJP state president PVN Madhav as the alliance works to finalise the distribution of seats and key local government posts. Naidu is also expected to hold further talks with alliance leaders before the arrangement is concluded.
The negotiations cover Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) seats, along with posts for Zilla Parishad chairpersons and Mandal Parishad presidents. These institutions form an important layer of local administration, overseeing development and public service coordination at the district and mandal levels.
State-level alliance leaders have assigned local leaders the responsibility of negotiating seat-sharing for ZPTC and MPTC constituencies. Discussions over Zilla Parishad chairperson posts, however, are being conducted at the state level, reflecting the political importance of controlling the leadership of the district-level bodies.
The Jana Sena has sought eight Zilla Parishad chairperson posts, while the BJP has sought two. The report said Jana Sena could be allotted six chairperson posts under the proposed arrangement, while the BJP may not receive any of these positions. The final distribution remains subject to agreement among the alliance partners.
The alliance is working towards an understanding covering 28 Zilla Parishad chairperson posts and 659 ZPTC seats. A separate agreement is also required for 660 Mandal Parishad president posts and 9,829 MPTC seats. The scale of the negotiations means that the final pact will determine how the alliance divides electoral responsibility across a large number of local constituencies.
According to sources cited in the report, the Alluri Sitarama Raju and Anakapalli districts are among the Zilla Parishads that could be allotted to Jana Sena. The party may also receive four additional chairperson posts as part of the proposed arrangement, although the overall distribution has not yet been formally announced.
The negotiations come ahead of the expected local body elections and involve the allocation of both electoral constituencies and leadership positions. The alliance partners are expected to jointly announce the list of constituencies they will contest once the remaining discussions are completed.
