Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan Reddy key candidates as Seemandhra goes to polls
Hyderabad: TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu, YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Union Ministers Kishore Chandra Deo, M M Pallam Raju, Panabaka Lakshmi and former minister D Purandeswari are among the prominent candidates in fray for the Seemandhra elections to be held on Wednesday.
The stage is set for polling in the 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Legislative Assembly constituencies in Seemandhra. As many as 3.68 crore voters would exercise their franchise in 40,709 polling stations spread across the 13 districts of Seemandhra.
"There are 333 contesting candidates for parliamentary constituencies and 2,241 nominees for assembly segments," state chief electoral officer Bhanwar Lal said here on Tuesday.
Among the 175 assembly constituencies, polling would take place from 7 am to 6 pm in 165 seats. But in eight Naxal-hit segments, polling would be held from 7 am to 5 pm and in two others from 7 am to 4 pm.
Naidu is seeking re-election from his Kuppam Assembly constituency in native Chittoor district, which he has been representing since 1989. Naidu's brother-in-law and top Telugu hero Balakrishna is making electoral foray in the elections as the TDP's nominee from Hindupur in Anantapur district.
Jaganmohan Reddy is contesting Assembly polls for the first time from the family stronghold of Pulivendula in native Kadapa district. His mother and YSRCP honorary president Y S Vijayamma is the party candidate from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat.
Andhra Pradesh BJP president K Haribabu is Vijayamma's main rival. TDP and BJP have a pre-poll alliance.
Kishore Chandra Deo, a senior Congress leader from north-coastal Andhra, is seeking re-election from Araku (ST) Lok Sabha constituency.
Union Human Resource Development Minister M M Pallam Raju is contesting again from Kakinada Lok Sabha seat, which he won thrice earlier, but is facing a tough battle this time as Congress is believed to be at the receiving end of public anger over "unilateral" bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Purandeswari, who quit Congress and joined BJP in protest against the division of Andhra Pradesh, is contesting from Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency. Panabaka Lakshmi is fighting the election from Bapatla (SC) parliamentary constituency.
The elections are a do-or-die battle for the main contenders TDP and YSRCP with Congress believed to be at the receiving end of the public anger over "unilateral" division of Andhra Pradesh.
