In Andhra Pradesh, over 41.4 million voters will determine the fate of 2,841 candidates in simultaneous elections for the state Assembly and Lok Sabha on Monday.
Key contenders include Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress Party, former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan of the Jana Sena Party (JSP). Notable candidates for Lok Sabha seats include D. Purandeswari of the BJP, Y.S. Sharmila Reddy of the Congress, and N. Kiran Kumar Reddy of the BJP.
Extensive security measures have been implemented with over 526,000 personnel deployed, including security forces, to ensure peaceful polling. Polling hours vary in Left-Wing Extremist (LWE) affected areas.
With over 4.14 crore voters, women outnumber men, and there are over 68,000 service electors. The state aims to surpass the 2019 voter turnout of 79.84%, expecting it to rise to 83% this time.
The election infrastructure includes 46,389 polling centers, with 12,438 declared sensitive. Webcasting will cover over 34,000 polling stations, with 100% coverage in 14 Assembly segments. Additionally, 1.6 lakh Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been deployed, with over 3.30 lakh employees on polling duty.
Security arrangements involve 1.14 lakh police personnel and 295 companies of central forces. Visakhapatnam leads in Lok Sabha candidates, while Tirupati has the most Assembly candidates.
The main contest is between the ruling YSRCP and the NDA, comprising TDP, JSP, and BJP. In 2019, YSRCP won a majority, with TDP forming the opposition. This time, TDP, JSP, and BJP have formed an alliance against YSRCP.
Prominent candidates include CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, seeking re-election from Pulivendula, Chandrababu Naidu from Kuppam, and Pawan Kalyan from Pithapuram. Balakrishna and Nara Lokesh from TDP, and Sharmila Reddy from Congress are also contesting.
NRI medical professional Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, with assets over Rs 5,705 crore, is contesting from Guntur on a TDP ticket.
