2,387 candidates in fray for Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls

Amaravati, May 1: A total of 2,387 candidates remain in the fray for the elections to the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly while 454 will be testing their electoral fortunes in 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

According to the Election Commission, 318 candidates withdrew their nominations for Assembly polls while 49 pulled out of the contest in Lok Sabha constituencies.

The deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended on Monday but the election authorities released the details late on Tuesday.

A total of 2,705 nominations were found valid in all Assembly segments while 503 nominations were accepted for Lok Sabha polls.

Simultaneous elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha are scheduled on May 13.

The maximum number of candidates (46) are in the fray in the Tirupati Assembly segment followed by 40 in Mangalagiri. Only six candidates remain in the contest in the Chodavaram constituency, while there are seven candidates each in Tekkali, Srikakulam, Narasannapeta, Palakonda (ST), Kurupam (ST), Salur (ST), Cheepurapalle. Rajahmundry Rural, and Nagari.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer, 503 nominations were found valid for Lok Sabha elections.

A maximum of 33 candidates are in the fray in the Visakhapatnam constituency, followed by 31 in Nandyal and 30 in Guntur.

There are only 12 candidates in Rajahmundry, and 13 candidates each are contesting in Araku (ST), Srikakulam, Eluru, and Hindupur.

Over 4.08 crore, more than half of them women, are eligible to cast their votes.

A direct fight is likely in both the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls between the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the opposition National Democratic Alliance comprising the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Jana Sena Party (JSP), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Congress, which drew a blank in Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state both in 2014 and 2019, is the third biggest player.

In 2019, the YSRCP wrested power from the TDP by bagging 151 Assembly seats. The TDP won 23 seats while JSP secured one.

The YSRCP had also captured 22 Lok Sabha seats with the TDP bagging the remaining three.

The TDP, the JSP, and the BJP have joined hands this time to avoid a split of anti-incumbency votes. Under the seat-sharing agreement, the TDP is contesting 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha seats. The JSP has fielded candidates in 21 Assembly segments and two Lok Sabha constituencies, and the BJP is contesting 10 Assembly and six Lok Sabha seats.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh, actor and TDP leader N. Balakrishna are among the key candidates for Assembly polls. State Congress chief Y.S. Sharmila Reddy, state BJP President D. Purandeswari, and YSRCP Rajya Sabha member Vijayasai Reddy are among the prominent contestants in the Lok Sabha elections.