Andhra Pradesh NDA finalises ULB poll seat-sharing: TDP gets 72%, BJP 2 mayor posts
Synopsis
After a brief deadlock, Andhra Pradesh's ruling NDA — TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP — carved up the Urban Local Body elections on Thursday night, with TDP claiming over 72% of all posts and 11 of 17 mayor contests. The deal is the coalition's first real-world stress test since its 164-seat Assembly sweep in 2024, and the proportions reveal exactly who holds the power in Amaravati.
Key Takeaways
Andhra Pradesh NDA partners finalised ULB election seat-sharing on Thursday night, 16 October , after four days of talks.
TDP secured 72.35% of all Urban Local Body posts, including 11 of 17 municipal corporation mayor seats.
Jana Sena will contest four mayor posts and 21 municipality/nagar panchayat chairperson seats ( 20.33% overall).
BJP gets two mayor posts — Rajamahendravaram and Anantapuram — and seven chairperson posts ( 7.32% overall).
Polling for 100 Urban Local Bodies is scheduled on 28 October ; Gram Panchayat polls follow in three phases in November–December .
The seat split closely mirrors the NDA's 2024 Assembly tally : TDP 135 MLAs, Jana Sena 21 , BJP 8 out of 175 .
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Andhra Pradesh has finalised seat-sharing for the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections, resolving an initial deadlock between partners after several rounds of negotiations over four days. The agreement covers mayoralty contests across 17 municipal corporations and chairperson posts for municipalities and nagar panchayats, with polling for 100 urban local bodies scheduled on 28 October.
How the Seats Were Divided
Under the finalised arrangement, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has been allotted 72.35% of all Urban Local Body posts, the Jana Sena Party (JSP) 20.33%, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 7.32%. The distribution broadly mirrors the three parties' respective strength in the state Assembly.
For the 17 municipal corporation mayor posts, TDP will contest 11, Jana Sena four, and BJP two. For municipality and nagar panchayat chairperson posts, TDP will field candidates in 78 places, Jana Sena in 21, and BJP in seven. The partners also agreed that if one ally wins the mayor or chairperson post, the remaining allies will be accommodated in deputy mayor or vice-chairperson positions.
City-by-City Breakdown
TDP will contest the mayoral posts in Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam, Mangalgiri-Tadepalli, Guntur, Ongole, Nellore, Kurnool, Kadapa, Tirupati, and Chittoor. Jana Sena has been allocated Srikakulam, Kakinada, Eluru, and Vijayawada, while BJP will field candidates for mayors in Rajamahendravaram and Anantapuram.
Leaders Who Clinched the Deal
The talks involved the top brass of all three alliance partners. Chief Minister and TDP National President N. Chandrababu Naidu, TDP State President Palla Srinivasa Rao, Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, and state BJP President P.V.N. Madhav were among the leaders who participated in the negotiations. The final agreement was reached on Thursday night, 16 October, after an initial deadlock between TDP and JSP was resolved through mutual concessions.
Election Schedule and Context
The State Election Commission has already issued notifications for 100 Urban Local Bodies — covering 13 Municipal Corporations and 87 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats — out of a total of 123. Elections for the remaining 23 Urban Local Bodies, including four Municipal Corporations and 19 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats, have not yet been notified as pre-election activities are still underway. Rural local body polls — for Gram Panchayats — are slated across three phases in November and December.
This comes against the backdrop of the NDA's commanding performance in the 2024 Assembly elections, when the coalition swept 164 of 175 seats. TDP alone holds 135 MLAs, Jana Sena 21, and BJP eight — a ratio that the seat-sharing formula has closely tracked. The ULB polls will be the first electoral test for the coalition since that landslide, and a strong showing would consolidate the alliance's grip on the state's urban governance architecture ahead of future polls.
Point of View
Leaving JSP and BJP with proportional scraps. That precision matters: in coalition politics, perceived fairness in local body allocations determines whether cadre-level loyalty holds through the next electoral cycle. The initial TDP-JSP deadlock is a reminder that Pawan Kalyan's base has its own ambitions that won't remain tethered to TDP's arithmetic indefinitely. How the BJP, holding just two mayor seats, leverages those urban footholds — particularly in Rajamahendravaram and Anantapuram — will be worth watching as the party seeks to deepen its roots in a state where it has historically been the junior-most partner.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NDA seat-sharing deal for Andhra Pradesh Urban Local Body elections?
The NDA partners — TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP — finalised seat-sharing for the Andhra Pradesh Urban Local Body elections on 16 October. TDP has been allotted 72.35% of all posts, Jana Sena 20.33%, and BJP 7.32%, with polling for 100 urban local bodies scheduled on 28 October.
How many mayor posts does each NDA partner get in Andhra Pradesh?
Of the 17 municipal corporation mayor posts, TDP will contest 11, Jana Sena four, and BJP two. BJP's two mayor contests are in Rajamahendravaram and Anantapuram, while Jana Sena will contest Srikakulam, Kakinada, Eluru, and Vijayawada.
When are the Andhra Pradesh Urban Local Body elections scheduled?
Polling for 100 Urban Local Bodies in Andhra Pradesh is scheduled on 28 October. Gram Panchayat elections will be held in three phases in November and December, as announced by the State Election Commission.
Who participated in the NDA seat-sharing talks in Andhra Pradesh?
The negotiations involved Chief Minister and TDP National President N. Chandrababu Naidu, TDP State President Palla Srinivasa Rao, Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, and state BJP President P.V.N. Madhav, along with other senior leaders.
How does the ULB seat-sharing relate to the NDA's 2024 Assembly performance?
The seat distribution closely mirrors the coalition's 2024 Assembly composition. The NDA won 164 of 175 Assembly seats in 2024, with TDP holding 135 MLAs, Jana Sena 21, and BJP eight — proportions that are broadly reflected in the 72–20–7 ULB split.
