Early trends in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls indicate a significant lead for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), surpassing the halfway mark. The ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is trailing, showing gains in only 10 seats. Simultaneously, in Odisha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading with 28 seats, while the incumbent Biju Janata Dal (BJD) under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is trailing.
The vote counting for both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Assembly elections commenced at 8 am. The Odisha Assembly elections aim to fill 147 seats in the state’s Legislative Assembly. The state conducted simultaneous voting for the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly polls from May 13 to June 1, across four phases.
In Odisha, the BJD is contesting all 147 seats, with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking another term after over 24 years in power. The BJP is also contesting all 147 seats, the Indian National Congress on 145 seats, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on 7 seats.
Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh, the Assembly elections held on May 13 alongside the Lok Sabha polls see the YSRCP contesting all 175 seats independently. The TDP has fielded candidates for 144 seats, while the Jana Sena Party (JSP), led by Pawan Kalyan, is contesting 21 seats, and the BJP has fielded candidates in 10 seats.
Key contenders in Andhra Pradesh include Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSRCP, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, and JSP’s Pawan Kalyan.
These elections are critical as they determine the political landscape of the respective states, with both incumbents and challengers vying for control amidst a backdrop of simultaneous national and state-level electoral battles.
