Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan held a two-hour meeting on Tuesday to discuss seat-sharing and coordination among ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners ahead of the upcoming local body elections. Pawan Kalyan attended a breakfast hosted by Naidu at his official residence in Undavalli. Minister Nara Lokesh was also present during the meeting.

The discussions focused on the distribution of seats among the alliance partners for elections to rural and urban local bodies. Naidu, who is the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president, and Pawan Kalyan, who heads the Jana Sena Party, are understood to have discussed the number of seats that their respective parties could contest. The allocation of mayoral and deputy mayoral posts in key municipal corporations was also part of the talks.

The two leaders also discussed coordination among the TDP, Jana Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as preparations for the civic elections gather pace. Reports indicate that the alliance is working towards a coordinated approach after the election schedule is announced. BJP state president P.V.N. Madhav is also expected to hold a separate meeting with Naidu on the seat-sharing arrangements.

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The NDA's seat distribution is being discussed against the backdrop of the coalition's strength in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The alliance won 164 of the 175 Assembly seats in the 2024 elections, with the TDP securing 135 seats, Jana Sena 21 and BJP eight. However, the final seat-sharing arrangement for the local body elections has not yet been formally announced.

The local body election preparations have also gained urgency following an October 1 order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing the state government and State Election Commission to begin the election process within six weeks. The order covered petitions concerning gram panchayat and municipal elections. The court also dismissed petitions seeking to defer the polls until completion of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state.

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