Big Day for Voters in AP: AP voters give verdict today

VIJAYAWADA: May 13 is a big day for the people of Andhra Pradesh as the over 4 crore voters are ready to cast their votes to elect the new Government. The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for the voting in the 175 Assembly constituencies and 25 Lok Sabha segments in the State. The ruling YSRCP, NDA alliance and INDIA block alliance parties the Congress and Left have canvassed vigorously for the victory in the elections. After high voltage electioneering for more than two months in scorching heat the polls campaign ended on Saturday evening. Now, it is the turn of the voters to use their franchise and choose the government of their choice.

Election staff reached the Polling centres across the state with EVMs and other material by Sunday evening. Mock polling will begin between 5 a.m. to 5.30 a.m. on Monday morning and will be completed by 6.30 a.m. Voting will begin by 7 a.m. in 46,389 polling stations across the State. District Election Officers supervised the polling arrangements in the districts.

The voters elected the TDP government in 2014 elections and voted for the YSRCP in the 2019 elections. Now AP voters will elect the new Government third time after bifurcation of the State. The people of Andhra Pradesh have seen the rule of TDP for five years from 2014 to 2019 and the YSRCP rule from 2019-2024 and will give their verdict on Monday to elect the new government.

The mainstream political parties canvassed across the State for more than two months and hopeful of winning the contest.

The main poll battle is between ruling YSRCP and the NDA alliance parties the Telugu Desam, BJP and Jana Sena. The polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday in 169 Assembly constituencies. Polling time is different in the Maoist affected six Assembly segments. Polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Palakonda (ST) constituency, Kurupam constituency (ST) and Saluru constituency (ST) under the Lok Sabha constituency. Polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Araku Valley (ST), Paderu (ST) and Rampachodavaram segments under the Araku Lok Sabha segment.

The election commission is using 1.60 lakh Electronic Voting Machines and kept additional machines to use in case of emergency. Heavy bandobust is being made for the free and fair polls in the State as more than 1 lakh police personnel including volunteers are drafted for the election duty.

The ruling YSRCP has mainly canvassed that the welfare schemes will be continued if the YSRCP is voted to power again and urged the voters to vote for the YSRCP. CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had spearheaded the election campaign. The NDA alliance leaders the TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu, JSP leader Pawan Kalyan had travelled extensively in the states and energetically canvassed for the victory. Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan have assured the people of Andhra Pradesh development of state and implementation of welfare schemes. The two leaders said both Development and welfare are the top priorities of the NDA and urged the voters to defeat the YSRCP to end the misrule.

BJP national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president JP Nadda and central ministers and former ministers toured AP extensively and participated in the public meetings and other party programmes.

The TDP is determined to come back to power at any cost and joined as alliance with the JSP and the BJP. Jana Sena is expecting a good breakthrough in the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. The BJP is trying to win at least two Lok Sabha seats and 2 to 5 Assembly segments. BJP is contesting in six lok Sabha constituencies and in 10 Assembly segments. The Jana Sena is contesting in two Lok Sabha segments Kakinada and Machilipatnam and 21 Assembly segments.

Heavy turnout is expected in the polling to be held on Monday. Lakhs of people living in Telangana, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Odisha states are travelling to their native places in Andhra Pradesh to cast their votes on Monday.

Bus stations at Hyderabad and Vijayawada and other cities and towns witnessing heavy rush since Saturday as the people are travelling to cast their vote in the festival of democracy.

The total number of voters in the state are 4,14,01,887. In all 454 candidates are contesting for the 25 Lok Sabha segments and 2387 candidates are in fray for the 175 Assembly elections.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral officer Mukesh Kumar Meena is hopeful of heavy turnout in the polls and stated that EC has made arrangements for the violence free polls in Andhra Pradesh. He said all amenities will be arranged for the convenience of voters and polling staff at the Polling Centres in the State.