Counting of votes for the Andhra Pradesh MPTC (Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency) and ZPTC (Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency) elections is underway across the state under tight security, with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) taking an early lead in several districts. Voting was held for 577 ZPTC and 7,707 MPTC seats, while counting began at 365 centres under the supervision of the State Election Commission. Nearly 20,000 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order and ensure a peaceful counting process amid the possibility of political clashes.

Early trends indicate that the ruling TDP is performing strongly in districts including Guntur, Palnadu, Kurnool, Vizianagaram, and several other regions. The party has already secured victories in multiple MPTC seats and is leading in a significant number of ZPTC constituencies. Meanwhile, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has managed to hold leads in some pockets but is trailing in several key areas. In one closely watched contest, former minister R.K. Roja became emotional after a YSRCP-backed MPTC candidate lost by just three votes following a recount, highlighting the intense competition in the rural local body polls.

The counting process has remained largely peaceful, although a few incidents drew attention during the day. In East Godavari, Jana Sena Party MPTC candidate Garapati Divya, aged 28, died of a cardiac arrest just hours before the counting began, shocking supporters. In Anakapalli, a journalist suffered a heart attack while covering the election results and was rushed for medical treatment after a police officer’s quick response. State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said the counting is being conducted transparently under strict monitoring and also indicated that a decision on elections for the remaining 23 municipalities will be announced soon.