CM Naidu says TDP will study if ‘forced conversions’ affected AP civic poll results

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu has said his party will examine whether alleged forced religious conversions played a role in the ruling coalition’s losses in some constituencies in the recent local body elections.

The TDP president addressed the media on November 9 to announce the TDP–Jana Sena Party–Bharatiya Janata Party coalition’s sweeping victory in elections to urban local bodies, Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs).

Reflecting on the coalition’s losses in a few places, including Anantapur and tribal districts such as Alluri Sitharama Raju, Chandrababu Naidu said: “I have said in the past that forcible conversions have happened. This needs to be studied, whether people did any deliberate mischief after forcible conversions.”

Leaders of the three coalition parties have frequently accused the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of enabling forced religious conversions during YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure as Chief Minister. Jagan is a practising Christian. But they have not provided evidence to support the allegations.

Chandrababu Naidu said that the party would conduct a comprehensive review of its losses in certain areas. He cited the government’s work in tribal regions, including promoting Araku Coffee internationally and implementing development plans, but said the expected electoral results had not materialised.

He said the party would analyse the results and examine whether voters had been “swayed” by any form of “inducement”.

“How can the entire state go one way, and just one or two constituencies go the other way? If public sentiment differs, we will work together with them. If they are being deceived, then we will control that,” Chandrababu Naidu said. He added that the party would correct any mistakes and take firm action if necessary.

Announcing the coalition’s victory in the local body polls, Chandrababu Naidu said its combined vote share had increased since the 2024 Assembly elections, rising from 55.3% to 58.9% in the urban local body elections—an increase of 3.6 percentage points.

The YSRCP’s vote share, he said, fell from 39.81% to 33.56%, a decline of 6.25 percentage points.

The CM said that the alliance had won 575 of the 659 ZPTC seats statewide and led in 27 of the 28 districts. The YSRCP won more seats than the alliance only in Alluri Sitharama Raju district.

In the MPTC elections, the alliance won 7,803 of the 9,818 seats, he said.

Of the 100 Mayor and Municipal Chairperson posts, the alliance won 94: 12 of the 13 Mayor posts and 82 of the 87 Chairperson posts. The TDP won 70 posts, Jana Sena 20 and the BJP four, Naidu said.

The elections took place amid widespread allegations that TDP members had prevented YSRCP candidates from filing nominations. There were also allegations—and, in some instances, video evidence—of rigging and booth capturing on polling days. Naidu denied the allegations, saying the elections were conducted smoothly, and blamed the YSRCP for sporadic violence.