As the nation heads for the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the state of Andhra Pradesh will be heading for assembly elections alongside. The elections for the 15th Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh will be held in a single phase on April 11. The announcement came from Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora who said that Andhra Pradesh will hold assembly polls simultaneously with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The state of Andhra Pradesh will vote to elect members to the 176-member Vidhan Sabha. While the elected members in Andhra Pradesh are 175, one member is nominated to the legislative assembly of the state. At present, the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) is in power in Andhra Pradesh with 99 seats. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is the chief minister of the state, becoming the first CM of the state after it was bifurcated from Telangana in 2014. Naidu has also held the post of Andhra Pradesh CM from 1994-2004, making him the longest-serving CM in Andhra. The prime contenders for power in Andhra Pradesh are regional blocs -- Naidu's TDP and Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party. Chandrababu Naidu said the ensuing elections in Andhra Pradesh would be "KCR (TRS chief) versus TDP" and not "Jaganmohan Reddy (YSR Congress president) versus TDP." Asking people to decide what they wanted, the chief minister said the "time has come for the people to decide whom they want, KCR or TDP." While the Congress and TDP had shown much camaraderie in the recently held Telangana elections, forming the Prajakutami (people's alliance), their lacklustre performance cast a shadow over any future alliances. Confirming that the Congress will go solo in Andhra Pradesh, senior leader Oommen Chandy in January said the party will contest all the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats on its own. Seeking to jump from Opposition to ruling is also Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP. The party is currently in opposition in Andhra Pradesh with 66 seats with Jaganmohan Reddy acting as Leader of Opposition. Holding a 3,648-km padayatra across the state over 14 months to gather support, Jagan Mohan Reddy has pitched himself as the people's leader. He has continued to attack the TDP over the issue of corruption. Jaganmohan Reddy's poll campaign has been 'Ninnu Nammam Babu' (we don’t trust you, Babu). Another key player in the state election is actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan. Ruling Tollywood for years, it remains to be seen if he will be to recreate the same magic with his Jana Sena Party in the Andhra Pradesh assembly elections. The key issue for Andhra Pradesh assembly elections will be special category status for the state. The issue has been raging in the state since it was bifurcated in 2014. It even led to Chandrababu Naidu breaking away from the NDA. The special category status was promised to Andhra Pradesh by the UPA government in 2014, as it would lose a significant chunk of revenue with Hyderabad going to Telangana. Even Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the special category status for Andhra Pradesh was his only consideration in determining which party to support in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha and assembly elections. However, a Political Stock Exchange carried out by India Today TV in September 2018 found that sanitation followed by agricultural problems, joblessness and price rise emerged as major issues for Andhra residents. To cap it all, Andhra Pradesh will go for assembly elections from April 11. FOLLOW LIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2019 LOK SABHA POLLS ANNOUNCEMENT HERE FULL SCHEDULE OF LOK SABHA POLLS: Lok Sabha election dates: Voting from April 11 to May 19, result on May 23<doc-sep>New Delhi: The Election Commission on Sunday said the assembly election in Andhra Pradesh will be held on April 11. The term of the Andhra assembly will come to an end on June 18. Lok Sabha elections will also be held in the state the same day. The forthcoming election would be the first to be held after the bifurcation of the state. The state has 175 assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has been making a pitch for a second term. Naidu, who was an ally of the BJP, walked out of the tie-up last year alleging the Narendra Modi-led government had failed to keep its promises to the state regarding granting of the special category status. Naidu, who is also seen as a key player in the opposition alliance on the national front, has made it clear that he would go to the elections in the state without any pre-poll deal. His main opposition in the state is YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Recently, the state has been gripped by data theft allegations with Naidu and his party blaming Reddy and KCR for conspiring against TDP with the data breach of over 3 crore citizens. He also accused the Telangana Police of colluding with the KCR government in this regard. List of 175 Assembly Constituencies in Andhra Pradesh 1. Ichchapuram 2. Palasa 3. Tekkali 4. Pathapatnam 5. Srikakulam 6. Amadalavalasa 7. Etcherla 8. Narasannapeta 9. Rajam (SC) 10. Palakonda (ST) 11. Kurupam (ST) 12. Parvathipuram (SC) 13. Salur (ST) 14. Bobbili 15. Cheepurupalle 16. Gajapathinagaram 17. Nellimarla 18. Vizianagaram 19. Srungavarapukota 20. Bhimli 21. Visakhapatnam East 22. Visakhapatnam South 23. Visakhapatnam North 24. Visakhapatnam West 25. Gajuwaka 26. Chodavaram 27. V.Madugula 28. Araku Valley (ST) 29. Paderu (ST) 30. Anakapalli 31. Pendurthi 32. Elamanchili 33. Payakaraopeta (SC) 34. Narsipatnam 35. Tuni 36. Prathipadu 37. Pithapuram 38. Kakinada Rural 39. Peddapuram 40. Anaparthy 41. Kakinada City 42. Ramachandrapuram (ST) 43. Mummidivaram 44. Amalapuram (SC) 45. Razole (SC) 46. Gannavaram (SC) 47. Kothapeta 48. Mandapeta 49. Rajanagaram 50. Rajahmundry City 51. Rajamundry Rural 52. Jaggampeta 53. Rampachodavaram (ST) 54. Kovvur (SC) 55. Nidadavole 56. Achanta 57. Palacole 58. Narasapuram 59. Bhimavaram 60. Undi 61. Tanuku 62. Tadepalligudem 63. Unguturu 64. Denduluru 65. Eluru 66. Gopalapuram (SC) 67. Polavaram (ST) 68. Chintalapudi (SC) 69. Tiruvuru (SC) 70. Nuzvid 71. Gannavaram 72. Gudivada 73. Kaikalur 74. Pedana 75. Machilipatnam 76. Avanigadda 77. Pamarru (SC) 78. Penamaluru 79. Vijaywada West 80. Vijayawada Central 81. Vijayawada East 82. Mylavaram 83. Nandigama (SC) 84. Jaggayyapeta 85. Pedakurapadu 86. Tadikonda (SC) 87. Mangalagiri 88. Ponnur 89. Vemuru (SC) 90. Repalle 91. Tenali 92. Bapatla 93. Prathipadu (SC) 94. Guntur West 95. Guntur East 96. Chilakaluripet 97. Narasaraopet 98. Sattenapalli 99. Vinukonda 100. Gurazala 101. Macherla 102. Yerragondapalem (SC) 103. Darsi 104. Parchur 105. Addanki 106. Chirala 107. Santhanuthalapadu (SC) 108. Ongole 109. Kandukur 110. Kondapi (SC) 111. Markapuram 112. Giddalur 113. Kanigiri 114. Kavali 115. Atmakur 116. Kovur 117. Nellore City 118. Nellore Rural 119. Sarvepalli 120. Gudur (SC) 121. Sullurpeta (SC) 122. Venkatagiri 123. Udayagiri 124. Badvel (SC) 125. Rajampet 126. Kadapa 127. Kodur (SC) 128. Rayachoti 129. Pulivendla 130. Kamalapuram 131. Jammalamadugu 132. Proddatur 133. Mydukur 134. Allagadda 135. Srisailam 136. Nandikotkur (SC) 137. Kurnool 138. Panyam 139. Nandyal 140. Banaganapalle 141. Dhone 142. Pattikonda 143. Kodumur (SC) 144. Yemmiganur 145. Mantralayam 146. Adoni 147. Alur 148. Rayadurg 149. Uravakonda 150. Guntakal 151. Tadipatri 152. Singanamala (SC) 153. Anantapur Urban 154. Kalyandurg 155. Raptadu 156. Madakasira (SC) 157. Hindupur 158. Penukonda 159. Puttaparthi 160. Dharmavaram 161. Kadiri 162. Thamballapalle 163. Pileru 164. Madanapalle 165. Punganur 166. Chandragiri 167. Tirupati 168. Srikalahasti 169. Satyavedu (SC) 170. Nagari 171. Gangadhara Nellore 172. Chittoor 173. Puthalapattu (SC) 174. Palamaner 175. Kuppam<doc-sep>Owaisi welcomes single-phase polling in Andhra, Telangana Owaisi told reporters that it was a good decision and would provide a level-playing field to both the states. news Elections MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday welcomed the Election Commission's decision to have single-phase polling in Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He told reporters that it was a good decision and would provide a level-playing field to both the states. The Hyderabad MP said this was important in the wake of data breach by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The Election Commission announced that both the Telugu states will go to polls in a single phase on April 11. In Andhra Pradesh, polling will also be held for Assembly elections. Owaisi exuded confidence that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will win 16 Lok Sabha seats and his Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) one seat to sweep the polls 17-0 in Telangana. He predicted that YSR Congress Party will win more than 20 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. Owaisi said he and his party would campaign for the TRS across Telangana and he would also visit Andhra Pradesh to address public meetings if YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy requests him to do so. He was confident that regional parties would form the next government at the Centre. "This is what the country needs because BJP government with 280 seats failed to live up to the expectations. The regional parties will build a new India by ensuring governance in real-time and by addressing real issues and by bringing peace and stability in Kashmir and northeast," he said.<doc-sep>
Assembly polls will be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha Elections in Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday at a press conference in New Delhi. Elections for the 175 Assembly seats and the 25 Lok Sabha seats, which will see a single-phase election, will be held on April 11. The forthcoming election will be the first to be held after the bifurcation of the state. Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu has been making a strong pitch for his second term. Naidu, a former BJP ally, walked out of the tie-up last year saying the Narendra Modi government had failed to keep its promise of granting special category status to the state. Naidu, a key player in the opposition alliance on the national front, has made it clear that he would step into the elections battle without any pre-poll deal. His main Opposition in the state is YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Here’s a look at how the state voted at the Centre and State levels in the last three elections. In 2014 In the Lok Sabha elections, an undivided Andhra Pradesh went to polls where about 4.84 crore voters chose their representatives from across 42 constituencies. Naidu’s TDP won 16 seats, KCR-led TRS managed to get 11 seats, the BJP won three, the Congress won two and the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIN fetched one seat. Reddy’s YSRCP, which is now set to bag a majority of votes in Andhra Pradesh, won nine seats in the 2014 elections. In the Assembly elections held simultaneously with the 2014 general elections, the state voted separately from a divided Andhra Pradesh and a newly-formed Telangana. The TDP won a 117-seat majority out of 175 seats in Andhra and formed the government while TRS won 63 seats in Telangana and went on to form the state’s first government. In 2009 In the general elections, the Congress won 33 out of the 42 seats in the state and AIMIM, its ally, won just one seat. The Third Front, the other major contender in the race, managed to win a total of eight seats, with the TDP winning six and the TRS winning two. The BJP did not win any seat but the NDA, as a whole, managed to wriggle two seats owing to TRS’s KCR—the current CM of the state of Telangana—and Vijayashanti Srinivas, an Indian film actress who had initially joined the BJP, before forming her own party and then merging it with the TRS. In the assembly elections, which were again held concurrently with the Lok Sabha polls, the then-ruling Congress managed to retain power, winning 36.6 per cent of the votes that translated to 156 out of a total of 294 seats. This election marked the second term of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), Jagammohan Reddy’s father, as the chief minister of the state before his death on September 2, 2009. The Third Front, a major contender at the state-level, too, managed to win 34.5 per cent votes but the vote share only translated to 107 seats. The BJP won only two seats despite having contested 271. In 2004 The Congress won 29 seats in the general elections while the UPA as a whole, along with the strength of the TRS, won 34 out of the 42 seats. The NDA with the backing of TDP won only five seats. The Congress swept the state in the assembly elections, winning 185 out of the 294 seats and this led to YSR’s two-term chief ministership. Here too, the TDP struggled, winning only 47 seats as opposed to both Congress’ big share of 185 and TDP’s own record of 180 in the previous legislative assembly. This analysis points to an interesting trend: each time the elections have been held simultaneously at the Centre and the State in Andhra, the party that won majority of seats at the Centre won the majority at the state as well. This also stands true for the immediate previous election year — in 1999, TDP won 29 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats and in the assembly elections held simultaneously, they won 180 out of 294 seats.