VJA Polls: Rebels in 52 Divisions Despite TDP-JSP-BJP Seat Deal

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The ruling TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance is facing rebel nominations in 52 of Vijayawada’s 86 municipal divisions despite reaching a seat-sharing agreement ahead of the Andhra Pradesh local body elections.

Under the reported arrangement, the TDP will contest 57 divisions, Jana Sena 21 and the BJP eight. However, several leaders who failed to secure party tickets have filed nominations as rebels, creating a challenge for the alliance leadership.

Of the 52 divisions facing rebel nominations, 22 involve BJP aspirants, 21 Jana Sena aspirants and nine TDP aspirants, according to the reported division-wise figures.

The alliance leadership has urged disappointed aspirants to withdraw their nominations and support the officially selected candidates. Leaders have also warned that those continuing as rebels could face suspension from their respective parties.

The central message is that whichever alliance partner receives a particular division, workers from the other two parties must support its candidate. The leadership wants local disagreements resolved before polling.

In Vijayawada, Jana Sena has been allotted the mayoral position under the broader alliance agreement. However, differences over corporator tickets have continued despite the understanding reached among the three parties.

The scale of the nomination process also reflects the competition for municipal positions. A total of 968 nominations were filed for the 86 corporator seats, while 24 nominations were submitted for the mayoral post.

Rebel nominations do not necessarily mean that all the candidates will remain in the contest. Some may withdraw following discussions with party leaders, while others could continue independently.

For the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP, the immediate challenge is to ensure that the seat-sharing arrangement agreed upon by their leadership is followed at the division level.

The coming days will determine how many rebels withdraw and whether the alliance can resolve the differences before the municipal elections.