Hyderabad:
Counting for 42 Lok Sabha and 294 Assembly seats in undivided Andhra Pradesh has begun, where states of Telangana and Seemandhra are all set to get their respective governments post division.
The two-phase polls held in Telangana region on April 30 and Seemandhra (collectively known as Andhra and Rayalasema regions) on May 7 were the last elections in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, which is the first state to be created in the country on linguistic basis.
Telangana, with ten districts, would be formally born as India's 29th State on June 2.
The outcome of counting is set to redefine broad political contours in both the regions that under unified Andhra Pradesh have seen successive Congress governments.
Winning candidates would become members of respective first Legislative Assemblies of residuary Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a certainly emotional moment for many.
Bitter campaigning marked the run-up to polls between principal contenders - Congress and TRS in Telangana, and TDP-BJP combine and YSR Congress Party in Seemandhra (residuary Andhra Pradesh).
Polling for 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly seats in Telangana region was held in April 30 and for 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats across 13 districts in Seemandhra on May 7.
The Congress which had won 33 of total 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2009 polls has seemingly ceded the ground in Seemandhra as the public anger is directed towards the party for dividing Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana.
Analysts feel that Congress is facing a rout in Seemandhra region.
Prominent candidates in the fray are YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy (Pulivendula Assembly seat), TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, Union ministers M M Pallam Raju, V Kishore Chandra Deo, Panabaka Lakshmi, Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy and S Jaipal Reddy -- all Congress, besides D Purandeswari (BJP).