The Jana Sena Party is preparing its proposals for seat-sharing in the upcoming local body elections in Andhra Pradesh and is seeking opportunities to contest in areas where it has a strong organisational and electoral base.
According to party sources, senior Jana Sena leaders are considering demanding at least five to six mayoral posts, up to nine Zilla Parishad chairperson posts and around 25 municipal chairperson positions as part of the alliance’s seat-sharing exercise.
There are 16 municipal corporations in the state. The party is reportedly seeking the opportunity to contest in Eluru, Kakinada, Vijayawada, Ongole and Tirupati.
The demand for Vijayawada has already begun to emerge within the alliance. There is also speculation that the TDP may be willing to offer Machilipatnam to the Jana Sena.
The Jana Sena is also preparing to seek either Tirupati or Visakhapatnam as part of the negotiations.
List of Municipalities
At the municipal level, the Jana Sena is reportedly seeking seats in several municipalities, including Bhimavaram, Pithapuram, Tadepalligudem, Tenali, Chirala, Tanuku, Amalapuram, Narasapuram, Anakapalle, Mandapeta, Nidadavole, Peddapuram, Ramachandrapuram, Samarlakota, Sattenapalle, Tuni, Gollaprolu, Kovvur, Nagari, Pedana, Puthur, Tadigadapa, Vuyyuru, Yelamanchili and Jangareddygudem.
Sources said a final proposal would be prepared after party chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan returns to the state and is expected to be available for party consultations from September 10.
Committees already constituted by the Jana Sena are expected to submit their recommendations to the leadership.
The proposals will be discussed internally before the final formula is negotiated with the leadership of the alliance partners.
The party is also reportedly considering seeking around 30 per cent of the seats in Mandal Praja Parishads (MPTCs) and Zilla Praja Parishads (ZPTCs).
Jana Sena leaders have indicated that the seat-sharing formula used during the 2024 Assembly elections may not necessarily be replicated for the local body polls.
They have reportedly stressed that the party should contest in a manner that protects the self-respect and political standing of Jana Sainiks, while also ensuring that the alliance as a whole does not suffer electoral losses.
A coordination committee meeting is expected to be held first to discuss seat-sharing among the three alliance partners and establish clarity on the constituencies where each party will contest.
The Jana Sena has already undertaken preliminary groundwork and is understood to have prepared a list of urban local bodies where it wants to contest.
The allocation of seats in the state’s 13,351 gram panchayats is expected to be decided later, based on the final seat-sharing ratio agreed upon by the alliance partners.
