Assembly Elections 2024: The polling for all 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 28 assembly segments in Odisha began at 7 am on Monday (May 13) amid tight security. Andhra went to Assembly polls in a single phase while Odisha voted for a new state government in four phases starting today and ending June 1. The results of the Assembly polls and the Lok Sabha elections will be declared on June 4.
Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections 2024
Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a triangular contest involving ruling YSRC, the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc and the NDA, comprising the BJP, Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party (JSP).
In Andhra Pradesh, the ruling YSRCP is contesting in all 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. As many as 454 candidates are in the fray for Lok Sabha and 2,387 for Assembly polls, according to Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer MK Meena.
As part of the seat-sharing pact among the NDA allies, the TDP was allocated 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies while the BJP will contest from six Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats. The Jana Sena will contest two Lok Sabha and 21 Assembly seats.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cast his vote at Kadapa Constituency's Jayamahal Anganawadi Polling Booth No. 138.
Former Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu also cast his vote at a polling booth in Guntur.
Who all are in the fray in Andhra Pradesh?
YSRCP president and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (Pulivendla), TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu (Kuppam) and Jana Sena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan (Pithapuram), among others, are in the Assembly poll race.
The Election Commission has deployed 1.06 lakh security personnel for the smooth conduct of the polls, including 3,500 Karnataka police, 4,500 Tamil Nadu police, 1,614 ex-servicemen and 246 retired police personnel, among others.
The total number of voters in the southern state is 4.14 crore, which includes 2.02 crore male, 2.1 crore female, 3,421 third gender voters and 68,185 service electors.
Odisha Assembly Elections 2024
The stage is set for simultaneous elections to four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 assembly segments in Odisha on Monday.
Voting began in Berhampur, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 assembly segments under the jurisdiction of these parliamentary seats. There are 37 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, while 243 nominees are in the fray for the 28 assembly seats.
The BJD, Congress and the BJP are contesting in all the constituencies besides some Independent nominees.
The polling is being held in 7,303 polling stations across the four Lok Sabha seats and their assembly segments and will continue till 6 pm. The voting is scheduled to end at 4 pm and 5 pm in some remote places where Maoist activities are a factor.
Altogether 62.87 lakh electors, including 31.89 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first round of the twin polls.
The four Lok Sabha seats are spread over six Maoist-affected police districts - Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Kalahandi - and three other police districts of Ganjam, Berhampur and Gajapati, Odisha DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi said.
The voting process will involve 53,000 polling personnel, with 715 all-women booths and 39 booths to be run by persons with disability.
Who all are in fray in Odisha Assembly polls?
Sitting MP Saptagiri Ulaka of Congress from Koraput seat, former MPs Pradeep Majhi of the BJD and Balabhdra Maji of the BJP in Nabarangpur, Pradeep Panigrahi of the BJP and BJD's Bhrugu Baxipatra in Berhampur are among prominent leaders who are contesting the Lok Sabha polls.
State ministers Jagannath Saraka, Rajendra Dholkia, Odisha Congress chief Sarat Patnaik, and Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das are in the fray in assembly polls.
Congress MLAs Taraprasad Bahinipati and Adhiraj Panigrahi, former chief secretary Bijay Patnaik, ex-minister DS Mishra, former leader of opposition Pradipta Naik, former MLA Ramesh Chandra Chayupattnaik are trying their luck in the assembly elections.
(With PTI inputs)
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