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>Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Odisha Sikkim EC announces simultaneous assembly polls in 4 states NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Sunday announced that the assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh , Arunachal Pradesh , Odisha and Sikkim will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.The Lok Sabha elections will be held between April 11 and May 19 in seven phases and the counting of votes will take place on May 23, the EC said.The assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held on all the 175 seats with the corresponding Lok Sabha polls. The state will have its assembly polls on April 11. The term of the Andhra assembly will come to an end on June 18. The state is currently ruled by the TDP.The assembly elections on the 60 seats of Arunachal Pradesh will also be held with the Lok Sabha elections. The state will have its assembly polls on April 11. Arunachal is currently ruled by the BJP. The term of Arunachal Pradesh legislative assembly ends on June 1.Currently ruled by Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Odisha will go to polls simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. Odisha will have its assembly polls on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. Odisha has 147 assembly constituencies that will go to polls in four phases starting April 11. The term of current assembly elected in 2014 will be expire on May 24.On the first day, polling will be held in four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly seats while on April 18, people of five Lok Sabha segments and 35 Assembly seats will cast their votes.On April 23 and April 29, voters in six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly segments each will exercise their democratic rights.While polling will be held in Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Berhampur and Koraput Lok Sabha segments and Assembly seats under their jurisdiction on April 11 on first phase, voters in Bargarh, Sundargarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal and Aska Lok Sabha seats and assembly segments under them will franchise their rights in second phase on April 18.The third phase of polling will be held in Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha segments and assembly constituencies under them on April 23.The fourth and last phase of polling will be held in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha segments and assembly constituencies under them on April 29.According to the final voter list issued on January 21, EC said there are 3.18 crore voters in the state and polling will be held in 37,606 booths across the state.The northeastern state of Sikkim will go to polls with the Lok Sabha elections to be held in April and May. The state will have its assembly polls on April 11. The Sikkim legislative assembly has 32 seats. The term of Sikkim legislative assembly ends on May 27.Sikkim has 4,23,325 voters who will exercise their franchise to elect 32 members of the Assembly and the lone Lok Sabha member.<doc-sep>Lok Sabha Election 2019 Date: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora addressed the media in New Delhi today. (Express photo/Amit Mehra) Lok Sabha Election 2019 Date: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora addressed the media in New Delhi today. (Express photo/Amit Mehra) Along with the Lok Sabha elections, polls will also be held in four states — Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha. Contrary to expectations, no elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been without an elected government since June last year when BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP. Above states will follow the same schedule as Lok Sabha for their respective seats. Andhra Pradesh assembly elections Election date: All 25 Lok Sabha seats will go to polls on April 11 Andhra Pradesh, which sends 25 members to the Lok Sabha, has a 175-member Legislative Assembly. In the last assembly elections, TDP, in alliance with BJP, swept the state under the leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu, winning 126 seats (TDP – 117, BJP – 9). However, the TDP-BJP alliance won with a vote share that was just 0.2 percentage points ahead of the Opposition’s. The TDP walked out of the NDA last March, accusing the BJP of reneging on its promise of granting special status to Andhra Pradesh. Naidu has already announced that there is no tie-up in the state with Congress and their cooperation is only at the national level. After 2004, this is the first time TDP is contesting without a pre-poll alliance. While Naidu is facing anti-incumbency due to the government’s failure to fulfil many promises made in 2014, Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress has emerged stronger after a successful 3,648-km padayatra. Odisha assembly elections Election dates: April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29 Odisha, which has 147 assembly seats, faces a tight contest between the BJD and a resurgent BJP. While Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik will hope for a fifth consecutive term, the BJP and the Congress will bank on anti-incumbency against 19 years of BJD rule. In the last assembly elections, BJD won 117 seats while from the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, 20 were won last time by the Patnaik-led party. With 60 per cent of its population dependent on agriculture, farmers issues have emerged as the main poll plank. To address farmers’ anger, the Odisha government in December announced the Rs-10,180-crore KALIA scheme for direct benefit transfer to farmers and landless farm labourers. Odisha’s tribal population, at around 23 per cent, also holds a key. Recently, BJD’s Baijayant Panda joined the BJP, giving it yet another boost in the fight against Patnaik. Sikkim assembly elections Election date: April 11 Sikkim, ruled by the Pawan Chamling-led Sikkim Democratic Front, has 32 assembly seats. Despite being part of the BJP-led Northeastern Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the SDF has decided to go alone in the elections. The SDF has decided to include Universal Basic Income in its manifesto for the Assembly election and aims to implement the scheme by 2022. It remains to be seen if the scheme, which Sikkim will be the first state to roll out, brings Chamling back for a sixth term in office. Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections Election date: April 11 Arunachal Pradesh, which has a 60-member Legislative Assembly, had in 2014 voted Congress to power. But with a majority of the ruling party leaders defecting to the BJP, the saffron party came to power with Pema Khandu as the chief minister. However, this time the BJP is in the backfoot with at least 19 politicians — including former state ministers, legislators and prominent local leaders — having joined the Congress since December. Moreover, there is resentment with the state government as well as the Centre over the controversy surrounding the granting of Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) to members of six tribal communities as well as the Citizenship Bill. The state government, however, has declined to implement the PRC proposal after widespread violence in the state that left three people dead and several injured.<doc-sep>
Battle for 2019: Andhra Pradesh to go to simultaneous polls on April 11 Although Andhra will see a multi-cornered contest, the main fight is between the TDP and the YSRCP. news Elections 2019 Assembly polls will be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha Elections in Andhra Pradesh, with the Election Commission of India announcing dates on Sunday. Elections to the 175 Assembly seats and the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh, which will see a single-phase election, will be held on April 11, 2019. Results to the Assembly and Lok Sabha Elections will be announced on May 23, 2019, with the counting of votes taking place on the same day. According to the notification, the date of issue of the gazette notification is March 18, 2019. The last day of nomination for Assembly and Lok Sabha Elections is March 25 and the last date of withdrawing nominations for both assembly and Lok Sabha is March 28, 2019. Andhra has 175 Assembly constituencies and 25 Lok Sabha seats. The state will see a multi-cornered fight. The ruling TDP led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will square off against Jaganmohan Reddyâ€™s YSRCP. Also, in the fray are the Congress, Pawan Kalyanâ€™s Jana Sena, which has tied up with Left parties, and the BJP. The state has witnessed a shake-up in poll alliances after the TDP pulled out of the NDA in 2018 after the Centre refused to grant special status to Andhra. While Naiduâ€™s party has voiced support for the Congress-led alliance at the national level, the two parties have chosen to contest independently in Andhra. This after the poll debacle in neighbouring Telangana, where the Prajakutami alliance which comprised of the Congress and the TDP failed to garner much support. The 2019 elections are the first in the residual state of Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation in 2014. The TDP won the 2014 Assembly Elections with a comfortable majority of 102 seats, while YSRCP won 67. In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, united Andhra which had a total of 42 seats, saw TDP win 16, TRS 11, YSRCP 9, BJP 3, and Congress 2.