State Panchayat Raj Minister PRC Reddy called it the end of the road for Chandrababu Naidu. (File)
In an embarrassment to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu, the opposition party has suffered a humiliating defeat in the local civic polls in Kuppam Municipality in Chittoor district, his home turf , with the ruling YSR Congress sweeping the elections.
In the polls held in leftover civic bodies two days ago, the ruling party bagged 19 out of 25 wards in Kuppam Municipality, leaving the remainder to the TDP.
This is the first time the TDP has been trounced in Kuppam, considered a bastion of Chandrababu, who has been representing the constituency for six terms now.
The defeat in the urban local body polls is seen a major political setback for the TDP supremo as the party failed to win the gram panchayats and also the local mandal parishad in the elections held a few months ago.
TDP state president K Atchannaidu alleged the ruling party won the civic body through money and misuse of power besides the use of police force.
State Panchayat Raj Minister PRC Reddy called it the end of the road for Chandrababu Naidu.
"I don't think he will contest from Kuppam again. He should step down from the party leadership and retire in Hyderabad (in neighbouring Telangana)," Mr Reddy, Mr Naidu's staunch rival in Chittoor district, remarked.
Meanwhile, the YSRC made a clean sweep in Nellore Municipal Corporation, winning all 46 seats for which elections were held. The party had earlier won eight more seats unopposed.
It also won the Jaggaiahpet Municipality in Krishna district 17-14 against the TDP.
In the newly formed Kondapalli Nagar Panchayat, the TDP had the last laugh after the lone independent returned to the party. The TDP and the YSRC won 14 wards each but the independent tilted the scales in the former's favour by returning to her parent organisation.
The YSRC continued the same trend in many other civic bodies winning majority seats and capturing power.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)