Morning Pulse: The allies say the seat deal is done, but the list is missing as nominations near

The ruling alliance has announced that it agrees before announcing what it agreed. Late on Wednesday, after a coordination meeting with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena MLAs Bolisetti Srinivas and Vamsi Krishna Yadav told reporters that seat sharing with the TDP for the local body elections was settled and that the partners would fight together as they did in 2024, Andhra Jyothy and Deccan Chronicle reported. By this morning, though, no party had published a list, and the seat numbers in circulation come from unnamed sources. Nominations for the urban bodies open tomorrow.

That half-closes the loop we flagged last evening. Deccan Chronicle reported Bolisetti as saying that no partner disputed its share, that no fixed percentage was set, and that the alliance will field only one candidate per seat, with no friendly contests. The Hans India said the Jana Sena leaders promised a joint list of candidates within a couple of days but declined to give seat counts. Neither the TDP nor the BJP has put figures on the record.

The numbers doing the rounds are consistent on the totals and inconsistent on the cities. NTV Telugu and Telugu Oneindia, both citing unnamed sources, reported that of 17 municipal corporations the TDP would contest 12, Jana Sena four and the BJP one. Both place Vijayawada and Kakinada with Jana Sena. NTV adds Tirupati and Eluru; Oneindia names Ongole and Tirupati, and says the TDP has offered Srikakulam in place of Ongole while Eluru remains open. Oneindia put Jana Sena's municipal share at about 20 and the BJP's at six. None of this has been confirmed.

The BJP's piece is the least settled. NTV Telugu and Telugu Oneindia said the TDP has offered it the Rajamahendravaram corporation; Oneindia reported that the BJP is pressing for Nellore instead. Deccan Chronicle, citing sources, said the BJP had sought three mayor posts, in Visakhapatnam, Nellore and Tirupati, and that state president PVN Madhav and minister Satya Kumar Yadav met Naidu during the talks. The Hans India said the BJP was still waiting for clarity on its demand. We found no on-record BJP statement.

If four corporations is the final figure, Jana Sena has settled below its opening position. The Hans India reported that the party had sought six corporations and 30 to 40 municipalities, against a TDP offer of three and 20. Deccan Chronicle described a Jana Sena proposal circulating on social media that claimed about 40 per cent of urban posts, 2,091 of 5,220, and noted that the alliance had not confirmed it. In Vijayawada, the unreserved mayor post sits beside Vangaveeti Radhakrishna's entry into Jana Sena on Wednesday; The Hans India reported speculation that he or a family member could be the party's candidate. Jana Sena has named no one.

One piece of arithmetic is still unexplained. The talks are described in terms of 17 corporations, but the State Election Commission's first round, as reported last evening, covers 13. The Hans India reported this morning that four corporations and 19 municipalities and nagar panchayats have not been notified. We could not confirm which ones, or whether any city in the bargaining is among them.

The calendar is now short. Notices for the urban bodies will be issued on Friday, October 16, when nominations open, with filing from 11 am to 3 pm and Sunday, October 18 as the last day, The Hans India reported. Deccan Chronicle also put the start of nominations on October 16 and said parties were expected to name candidates by this evening. That gives candidates three filing days.

The YSRCP has answered the schedule with a plan to contest everywhere. Party state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy told observers on Wednesday night that, on Jagan Mohan Reddy's direction, no seat should go uncontested for lack of a YSRCP candidate, according to an IANS report carried by Punjab Kesari and the party's own release. He asked candidates to apply at once for caste and no-dues certificates and to record any obstruction or police intervention on video. General secretary Lella Appi Reddy asked the Commission, IANS reported, to have police give prospective candidates a consolidated list of cases against them so their nomination disclosures are complete. We found no response yet from the Commission or the police.

On the other items we were watching, we found no fresh High Court order on the YSRCP's election petitions, no new ED summons for Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, and no hearing yet in the day-to-day trial of Jagan Mohan Reddy's assets cases, which was expected from Monday.