Vote counting for Andhra Pradesh's Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) elections started at 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2026, according to The Hindu. Ballots are being tallied at 365 centres across the state for 577 ZPTC and 7,707 MPTC seats.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) moved ahead in early trends in several Zilla and Mandal Parishads, The Hindu reported. The Times of India put the TDP's tally at 1,957 MPTC seats, with the YSRCP on 125, Jana Sena on 113 and the BJP on 59.
Roughly 19,885 police personnel were deployed for the count. Officials cited the risk of clashes between party cadres disrupting the process as the reason for the heavy presence.
Why it matters
These are grassroots local body contests, but they carry weight beyond the village and mandal level. The results will shape control of district and mandal parishads and give the state's main parties a read on their standing ahead of larger battles. For the ruling TDP, a strong showing would reinforce its position; for the YSRCP, the count is a test of its support base after its loss of power.
Early results from across the districts
In Guntur district, the TDP had won 10 MPTCs and was ahead in 60 more, while also leading in six ZPTCs, according to The Hindu.
Results began arriving from Kurnool district and favoured the ruling party. The Hindu reported that TDP's Lakshmanna won the Erragudi MPTC in Krishnagiri mandal, Gummala Keerthi took M Kottala in Aluru mandal, and H Padma won Dibbanakal in Adoni mandal.
In Vizianagaram district, the TDP was leading in 14 of the 20 ZPTCs where postal ballot counting had finished, The Hindu reported. The district has 27 ZPTCs, with counting continuing in seven more places. The party had already won 11 MPTC segments unopposed and was hoping to take a majority of the 438 MPTC seats, for which 1,066 candidates were in the fray. Counting centres were set up at nine locations for 16 ZPTC and 276 MPTC seats, with 18 halls and 281 tables staffed by about 1,500 supervisors, assistants and support personnel.
In Alluri Sitharama Raju district, counting proceeded peacefully in all 11 mandals, including the headquarters at Paderu, The Hindu reported. Authorities set up 298 tables, split evenly between MPTC and ZPTC constituencies.
The Deccan Chronicle reported that the TDP's Bharathi won the Pulivendula ZPTC.
In Palnadu district, counting also began at 8 a.m., with postal ballots taken up first.
A close recount, a death and a medical emergency
Former minister and YSRCP leader R.K. Roja broke down after her party's MPTC candidate from Ilattur in Vijayapuram mandal lost to the TDP nominee by three votes, The Hindu reported. The result followed a recount sought by the TDP after the YSRCP candidate was reportedly ahead initially. The outcome raised tensions among YSRCP supporters, and the party questioned how the recount was handled.
In East Godavari district, Garapati Divya, a 28-year-old Jana Sena MPTC candidate from Damanthunigidem Panchayat in Devarapalli Mandal, died of cardiac arrest a few hours before counting began, according to The Hindu.
At the Narsipatnam counting centre in Anakapalli district, a journalist covering the results collapsed after a heart attack, The Hindu reported. He was identified as Chintakayala Giri, a reporter for Andhra Jyothy from Nathavaram mandal. The incident caused panic at the venue, where medical emergency services were not available, drawing attention to the absence of basic ambulance arrangements at an official counting site.
In Bapatla district, Collector Dr. Vinod Kumar V. inspected counting at the Government Polytechnic College in Repalle town, where ballots from mandals in the Repalle Revenue Division were being tallied. He directed officials to follow election rules strictly and to keep the process careful, transparent and accurate. The district's polls were held on November 5 as part of its second ordinary local body elections.
District Collector Dr. S. Venkateswar said counting was running smoothly and peacefully with no untoward incidents reported. He said results for 55 to 60 MPTCs in his district were complete, with all MPTC results expected by 2 p.m. and ZPTC results by 6 p.m.
The Kotia question and pending urban polls
Both the TDP and the YSRCP were eyeing victory in the Kotia group of villages in Salur mandal of Parvatipuram Manyam district, where turnout was around 35 percent, The Hindu reported. The polling went ahead despite strong objections from neighbouring Odisha over holding local body elections in villages along the state border.
Separately, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said a decision would be taken soon on elections to 23 municipalities. Those urban local bodies could not go to the polls alongside the other 100 that voted on November 1 because of administrative and legal issues, he said.
Attention now turns to the remaining results through the afternoon and evening, and to the Election Commission's call on the 23 pending municipal polls.
