The TDP has locked down two of Hindupur’s 52 wards without a fight, leaving 50 for a face-off. MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna is leading the campaign to help the NDA alliance secure 25 more victories. Voters head to the polls on November 1, with the final results set for November 3.

The TDP has locked down two of Hindupur's 52 wards without a fight, leaving the remaining 50 for a face-off; NDA alliance requires 25 more victories to assume charge

The local body elections in Hindupur have put the political stamina of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA and actor Nandamuri Balakrishna in the spotlight.

The ruling coalition is pushing hard to turn its solid Assembly-level backing into outright control over the local municipality. At the same time, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is looking for a chance to see if it can revive its local support base across Sri Sathya Sai district.

The TDP has locked down two of Hindupur's 52 wards without a fight, leaving the remaining 50 for a face-off. The NDA alliance needs 25 more victories to assume charge.

Tricky terrain

However, the situation on the ground looks a little different from 2021, when the town had just 38 wards. Back then, the YSRCP swept 29 seats, leaving the TDP with six, the BJP with one, and independents with the final two. Following the redrawing of boundaries, which bumped the increased the total to 52 wards, a direct comparison with the previous results is tricky.

Balakrishna has been heavily involved in shaping the alliance's game plan. Puridi Manjunath, the coalition's pick for chairperson, has openly credited the MLA for his backing while going door-to-door appealing to voters. Adding even more star power to the campaign trail, Balakrishna's wife, Vasundhara Devi, also appeared at a public gathering in Hindupur to rally support.

With the chairperson's seat reserved for Backward Classes and 26 of the 52 wards set aside specifically for women, picking the right candidates has played a massive role in this election cycle.

TDP cadres maintain that winning the Hindupur civic body would firmly cement the alliance's dominance in Balakrishna's constituency. A split decision could highlight a disconnect between the actor-politician's personal popularity and the party's ground-level machinery.

Meanwhile, the YSRCP views the contest as a litmus test to gauge how much of its 2021 urban backing has survived the shift in the state leadership.

Voters head to the polls on November 1, with the results set to be counted on November 3.