A total of 454 candidates from 25 parliamentary constituencies are in the fray as Andhra Pradesh gears up for simultaneous polls in a single phase on May 13.
During the 2019 general elections, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) emerged as the largest party in the state, winning 22 of the 25 seats.
Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was limited to a mere three seats, while national parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress failed to open their account.
Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a triangular contest between YSRCP; the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including the BJP, TDP and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP); and the Congress-led INDIA bloc. Of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state, four are reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates, while one is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Various constituencies are poised for significant electoral contests, featuring candidates from diverse political backgrounds.
These electoral contests reflect the diversity and complexity of Andhra Pradesh's political landscape, with each constituency presenting its unique set of challenges and priorities for the principal parties in the state.
Visakhapatnam will witness Mathukumilli Bharat from the TDP challenging Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi of the Congress. It is one of the high-profile seats in the state, Visakhapatnam saw YSRCP's MVV Satyanarayana defeating TDP candidate Mathkumilli Bharath by a little over 4,000 votes during the 2019 elections.
Srikakulam constituency will see Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) facing Perada Tilak. Vizianagaram will feature a contest between Kalisetti Appala Naidu of the TDP and Bellana Chandra Sekhar.
Anakapalli will see CM Ramesh representing the BJP against Budi Mutyala Naidu and Vegi Venkatesh of the INC. Kakinada constituency will feature Tangella Uday Srinivas from the JanaSena Party (JSP) competing against Chalamalasetti Sunil and MM Pallam Raju from the INC.
In Araku (ST), voters will witness a competitive battle between Kothapalli Geetha representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chetti Tanuja Rani, and Appala Narsa from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].
Kadapa is witnessing a major political battle between two-time sitting MP YS Avinash Reddy of the YSRCP and her cousin YS Sharmila Reddy, who is the younger sister of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the president of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC). The TDP has fielded Chadipiralla Bhupesh Reddy from this seat.
The BJP has fielded former chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy from Rajampet against YSRCP's PV Midhun Reddy, who is eyeing a third consecutive term from this seat. The Congress is being represented by SK Basheed.
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