Pulivendula ZP Verdict Poses New Questions for YSRCP Stronghold

The Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) victory in the Pulivendula Zilla Parishad (ZP) by-election has unsettled the political landscape of Kadapa district. The outcome is significant not only for the margin of 6,033 votes but also because it came from the home constituency of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

YSRCP candidate Hemanth Reddy polled just 683 votes, forfeiting his deposit, in what political observers describe as both a symbolic and structural setback. “Pulivendula has been linked to the YSR family’s identity for decades. The result does not end that association, but it signals that voters are open to alternatives when organisational strength and local issues combine against the incumbent,” said political analyst K. Subrahmanyam.

YSRCP leaders, however, dismissed the result as a limited, local-level outcome. “Pulivendula remains a YSRCP bastion in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The ZP by-poll was influenced by local rivalries and short-term mobilisation, not by a shift in voter trust towards TDP,” said a senior YSRCP functionary from Kadapa district. He added that “the verdict will not alter the party’s strong record in larger electoral contests.”

Still, several commentators view the result as a reminder that the YSR family has faced reversals before. Senior Congress leader Narreddy Tulasi Reddy pointed to past examples, including defeats in 1970 at the ward level, Rajasekhar Reddy’s loss in the 1984 parliamentary election, and TDP’s dominance in 1994 and 1995. “History shows that Kadapa has never been a one-party preserve,” he said.

Analysts note that vulnerabilities in Pulivendula have resurfaced in recent years. In 2017, TDP’s B. Tech Ravi defeated Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy in the MLC elections. In 2023, TDP’s Ramgopal Reddy won the West Rayalaseema MLC polls. In 2024, YSRCP chose not to contest several Pulivendula water society positions, a decision seen as tactical retreat.

“The by-election result reflects more than a protest vote,” argued Visakhapatnam-based political analyst G. Ramesh. “It suggests that YSRCP’s dominance in Kadapa cannot be taken for granted. Welfare schemes still anchor the party’s appeal, but local disenchantment can create pressure points that the Opposition may exploit.”

Hyderabad-based commentator P. Lakshminarayana added perspective on scale. “Zilla Parishad outcomes are shaped by highly localised dynamics. To extrapolate them to Assembly or Lok Sabha elections would be premature. What this verdict does is chip away at the aura of invincibility around Pulivendula, which is politically consequential in itself.”

For TDP, the result has lifted morale and offered organisational momentum in a district where its presence has long been minimal. For YSRCP, it has triggered questions about grassroots strategy in constituencies considered secure. “YSR Congress is strong in Kadapa, but its strength has always depended on power and patronage,” said Mr. Tulasi Reddy. “When confronted by determined opposition, the family’s hold has weakened.”

YSRCP insiders counter this view. “The party’s base remains intact, and the Pulivendula Assembly seat will continue to return YSRCP by a wide margin. This by-election verdict should not be misread as a collapse of support,” said another party strategist, who argued that the leadership remains confident of its organisational network and welfare delivery ahead of 2029.

The Pulivendula outcome may not immediately alter the arithmetic for YSRCP in the Assembly or Parliament. Yet its psychological impact is evident. For the Opposition, it has opened an opportunity. For the ruling party, it is a reminder that even its most secure bastions require constant attention.