Andhra Assembly Polls: Stage Set For Contest Between Jagan Reddy And Chandrababu Naidu

With the Election Commission on Saturday announcing the poll schedule for the Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh on May 13, the poll bugle has been sounded in the southern state for a double battle.

With an electorate of 4.08 crore voters--two crore male, 2.07 crore female and 3,482 third gender voters, Andhra Pradesh is poised to elect members to its 16th Legislative Assembly, constituting 175 constituencies, besides 25 Lok Sabha members.

The Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP which got nearly 50 per cent vote share with 151 seats in the last assembly polls is deploying all its might to retain power. TDP secured just 23 while Jana Sena Party, one in 2019.

The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP on Saturday announced the list of candidates for all the 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies, coinciding with the date of the election notification announcement by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

According to YSRCP, 50 percent of all the seats for Assembly and Lok Sabha polls have been allocated to SC, ST, BC and minority communities.

Jagan Mohan Reddy will contest from Pulivendula Assembly constituency, Krishna Raghava Jayendra Bharath (Kuppam) and M Lavanya (Mangalagiri), the key constituencies of the southern state.

As per the list, B Jhansi Laxmi will contest from the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency, G Uma Bala (Narasapuram) and V Vijayasai Reddy (Nellore).

On the other hand, TDP is pulling all stops to wrest the power by joining NDA and having pre-poll alliance with actor Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena and BJP.

Left parties, Congress and other smaller parties have lesser impact in the poll arena.

N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP recently rejoined the NDA alliance whereas Jana Sena has already been the local ally of BJP.

The NDA partners entered into a seat sharing deal, according to which BJP will contest from six Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly segments, TDP 17 Parliamentary and 144 Assembly constituencies and Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena from two Lok Sabha and 21 assembly seats.

Naidu has already announced the names of 128 candidates while 16 more are due, which could be done any time from now. Kalyan revealed the names of only seven Jana Sena candidates until now, including giving clarity on his status, announcing he will fight the Assembly election from Pithapuram constituency.

Jana Sena still has to reveal the names of candidates for 14 more Assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats while the BJP is yet to announce the list of its candidates for either the Assembly or Lok Sabha polls.

Following TDP conceding several seats to BJP and Jana Sena as part of the seat-sharing deal, many seat hopefuls underwent serious heartburn and also exhibited signs of rebellion.

Senior TDP leader and former Undi MLA V V Sivarama Raju and Pithapuram party leader S V S N Varma openly expressed their disappointment.

When Pawan Kalyan suddenly announced in a party meeting on Thursday that he will contest the Assembly election from Pithapuram, Varma's supporters protested and burnt some placards and papers in his office.

Meanwhile, the NDA partners have lined up an election meeting at Boppudi in Chilakaluripeta constituency on March 17, which could feature Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the run up to the polls, YSRCP chief Jagan has announced the candidates for 24 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly constituencies.

Appointed after intense reshuffling, the new in-charges have replaced several sitting legislators, causing much consternation and exits from the party, which also included five Lok Sabha MPs and a Rajya Sabha member.

The YSRCP is yet to announce the final list of its candidates.

Unfazed by the exits, Reddy, confident of his welfare-dependent statecraft, has coined the term "why not 175", in a bid to 'sweep' all the Assembly seats.

In a show of strength, he has already addressed four massive Siddham (ready) election meetings, touching all the major regions of the state which saw lakhs of supporters attending.

Meanwhile, the Congress party led by Y S Sharmila, Jagan's younger sister, has also decided to fight from all the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats during the simultaneous elections.

Though it has been reduced to a political minnow after UPA – II led by Congress bifurcated the state, the grand old party is now attempting to inject some life for a toehold in the southern state's political landscape. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)