Andhra Pradesh participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with all its constituencies voting in a single phase on May 13. The state recorded a 78.25% voter turnout, slightly lower than its 80.38% turnout in 2019 but significantly higher than the national average for Phase 4, which stood at 67.25%. National parties have historically struggled in Andhra Pradesh, where local parties hold significant sway due to strong regional sentiments. Despite this, the state has played a crucial role in past elections, notably aiding Congress in forming the central government in 2004 and 2009 through swing votes. Ranked as the 9th largest state by Lok Sabha seat count, Andhra Pradesh boasts 25 parliamentary constituencies. Among these, four seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, while one seat is designated for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates.
The BJP stands a good chance of winning the Anakapalli, Narasapuram, and Rajahmundry constituencies, provided the TDP-JSP alliance can effectively transfer their votes to BJP candidates. Conversely, the BJP is predicted to struggle in Araku, Tirupati, and Rajampet, even with full support from the TDP and JSP, as these seats remain challenging for the party.
Andhra Pradesh Elections 2024: Date of polls
The Election Commission of India (ECI) scheduled the 18th Lok Sabha elections for all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh on May 13, 2024. The state, known for being among the early-voting states in past elections, participated in Phase 4 of the polling.
Polling took place on May 13 and covered the following constituencies:
- Araku
- Srikakulam
- Vizianagaram
- Visakhapatnam
- Anakapalle
- Kakinada
- Amalapuram
- Rajahmundry
- Narsapuram
- Eluru
- Machilipatnam
- Vijayawada
- Guntur
- Narasaraopet
- Bapatla
- Ongole
- Nandyal
- Kurnool
- Anantapur
- Hindupur
- Kadapa
- Nellore
- Tirupati
- Rajampet
- Chittoor
Andhra Pradesh Elections 2024: Main parties and candidates
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its candidates for six key constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh. This move followed the seat-sharing agreement with the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP).
Constituencies and candidates
Under the alliance, the BJP will contest the following constituencies:
Araku: Kothapalli Geetha
Anakapalli: CM Ramesh
Narasapuram: Srinivas Verma
Rajahmundry: State BJP Chief Daggubati Purandeswari
Tirupati: Varaprasad Rao Velagapalli
Rajampe: Former Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy
Seat distribution among allies
According to the seat-sharing arrangement:
- The TDP fielded candidates in 17 constituencies.
- The JSP contested the Machilipatnam and Kakinada constituencies.
Andhra Pradesh Elections 2024: What happened in 2019?
In the 2019 elections, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) led by Jagan Mohan Reddy swept all six seats now allocated to the BJP. The YSRCP secured more than 50% of the votes in Rajampet (57.27%), Tirupati (54.91%), and Araku (52.14%), making these constituencies tough for the BJP to win, despite any vote transfer from its allies.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the YSR Congress Party emerged as the dominant political force in the state, securing victory in 22 out of the 25 allocated seats. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) faced setbacks, failing to secure any seats in Andhra Pradesh.
Comparative vote shares
While the YSRCP dominated in certain areas, the combined vote share of the TDP-BJP-JSP alliance was higher than that of the YSRCP in Rajahmundry, Anakapalli, and Narasapuram constituencies. This gives the BJP a strategic advantage in these seats for the upcoming elections.
Congress and BJP's historical context
In 2014, the BJP secured two seats, but in 2019, it failed to win any. Nonetheless, the BJP managed to form the central government both times. However, the entry of the I.N.D.I.A alliance, which includes many regional parties from Andhra Pradesh, could pose a challenge to the BJP’s goal of securing 400+ seats in the 2024 elections.
Andhra Pradesh Elections 2024: When and where to watch exit poll result?
The India TV news channel will provide the most reliable and accurate exit poll for the Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The exit poll was conducted in collaboration with XYZ agency. In addition, the exit polls are available on the India TV platforms listed below:
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