The stage is set for the election of three MLC seats in Andhra Pradesh—two from graduates’ constituencies and one from a teachers’ constituency—scheduled for Thursday, with campaigning concluding on Tuesday.
While these elections hold high stakes for the ruling alliance led by the Telugu Desam Party, the opposition YSR Congress Party has chosen to stay out of the contest.
However, the YSRCP leadership is reportedly encouraging its supporters to back opposition candidates and vote against TDP candidates.
The elections, covering nearly 100 Assembly constituencies, are expected to gauge public sentiment regarding the current government's performance. Given their political significance, the ruling alliance has taken the elections very seriously.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh have conducted multiple review meetings, focusing on securing a first-preference vote victory.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has also urged alliance supporters to ensure their candidates' success.
In the past, when YSRCP was in power, TDP strategically won graduate MLC seats with the support of Communist parties. However, this time, the contest is between the TDP-led alliance and the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF), a left-oriented coalition.
In the 2024 elections, the alliance swept the East and West Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur districts, where the current graduate elections are being held. Any defeat in these MLC elections would signal a decline in the alliance’s influence.
Reports suggest that YSRCP sympathizers are backing PDF candidates in various regions. In the North Andhra teachers’ constituency, the alliance is supporting the Andhra Pradesh Teachers’ Federation (APTF), while some BJP leaders are backing the PRTU candidate.
The graduate constituencies are witnessing intense competition, with 35 candidates contesting from the Godavari region, 25 from Krishna-Guntur, and 10 from the North Andhra teachers' constituency.
Resembling general elections in intensity, these MLC elections have become a major challenge for the alliance leaders, pushing them into last-minute efforts to secure victory.
