Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 4 (ANI): <keyword id="20031073" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ysr-telangana-party" source="keywords">YSR Telangana Party</keyword> (YSRTP) Chief <keyword id="1670480" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ys-sharmila" source="Orion">YS Sharmila</keyword> is all set to merge with the Congress party in Telangana today. YS Sharmila on her visit to Idupulapaya yesterday, announced her readiness to join the Congress party and said that she will soon be meeting the BJP top brass in New Delhi. The significant move by the YSRTP chief comes days after the Congress party won the Telangana assembly elections. During the recent assembly elections in Telangana, YS Sharmila constantly rendered her support to the Congress party. She clarified that she did not contest the polls as it would have led to spilling of votes. "I am extending support to the Congress party because the Congress party stands the chance of winning in the Telangana Assembly elections... KCR has not fulfilled any of the promises he made to the people in his 9-year tenure. And that's the only reason I do not want KCR to come to power... I, as the YSR's daughter risk Congress' chance, because I tend to pull the Congress vote bank," she said in a statement made ahead of the Telangana assembly elections. Highlighting the significance of the support, she stated that the Congress party's victory in 31 seats in Telangana was largely due to their abstention from contesting. "In more than 55 constituencies I am going to affect the Congress vote bank and in more than 20 constituencies, I am going to help Congress lose in case I contest," she said. YS Sharmila could be given a key post in the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Sharmila is also expected to play a role in the elections of Andhra Pradesh which will also be held next year. Congress won an absolute majority in Telangana for the first time, winning 64 of 119 seats. Bharat <keyword id="19946146" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rashtra-samithi" source="keywords">Rashtra Samithi</keyword>, which ruled India's youngest state for 10 years, won 38 seats. (ANI)

Jagan Reddy's sister, YS Sharmila to merge her party with Congress today

Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 LIVE: BJP-led NDA crosses halfway mark in terms of leads; INDIA bloc still putting up a fight

There is jubilance at the party headquarters of YSR Congress Party as it has routed the ruling party Telugu Desam Party (TDP), in the state assembly elections. The party has 150 seats and leading in one more. TDP has won 21 seats and leading in two more assembly constituencies. <table style="width:0in;border-collapse:collapse;mso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in"> <tbody><tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"></td> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-left:none; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> Won/175 </td> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-left:none; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> Leading </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-top:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> YSR Congress </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 150 </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 1 </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-top:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> TDP </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 21 </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 2 </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-top:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> Jana Sena </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 1 </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 0 </td> </tr> </tbody></table> By afternoon yesterday Jagan Reddy camp already sett the stage for his swearing-in ceremony. TDP head Chandrababu Naidu submitted his resignation to the governor. However, it is also to be noted that TDP has a 39% vote share while YSRC has 50% share of the state’s votes. Reddy’s legwork Jagan Reddy has walked in late father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s foothpath, literally. The senior Reddy of Congress party ended nine years of Naidu rule and extensive popularity in 2004, with a padyatra or a walking tour where he walked across every second village in the state. Jagan too had followed up with his father’s winning plan, with a <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/andhra-pradesh-news/jaganmohan-reddy-to-conclude-429-day-padyatra-in-andhra-pradesh-today-1974775" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">429-day padyatra</a> or a match-on-foot and has reportedly met 20 million of his voters along the way—something which helped him win the mandate with a thumping majority. The issues he took up with them were also high on voters’ minds. One question that Reddy repeatedly reiterated as to why Chandrababu Naidu the head of TDP was unable to get the state a special status in spite of his ‘closeness’ to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The state of Andhra Pradesh which lost its crown jewel Hyderabad, is on a rebuild mode after its division in 2014. In fact, Naidu broke away from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the issue, but that doesn’t seem to have placated the public. From Jail to CM’s post Not too long back, a few years soon after his father’s death in 2009, Jagan Reddy was embroiled in a CBI case which also involved his late father. The duo was accused of colluding and giving away licences and other mining rights to companies and accepting bribes in a disproportionate assets case. According to a CBI investigation, as much as <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/rs-43000-cr-got-diverted-to-jagans-firms-cbi/article20458579.ece">Rs 43,000 crores were</a> diverted illegally into various businesses owned by him. The Reddy family have varied business interests across sectors like mining, cement, power along with investments in media companies. As a result of the intense crackdown on black money, Reddy was arrested in 2012 and spent around 16 months in jail. He was released on bail, and the case is still ongoing. A new party Last elections in 2014, YSR Congress was routed by the TDP-BJP combine. However, very few political pundits wrote off Jagan, especially after his thumping win at Kadapa by-elections in 2011 which shows that he had popular support. He had then won by a margin of five-and-a-half votes over his nearest Congress rival. Cracks between Rajesekhar Reddy’s heir apparent Jagan and party leader Sonia Gandhi emerged after she asked him to call off a ‘condolence tour’ that he went on, after his father’s death. The tour came at a time when tensions were ride on the Telangana state division issue. However, Jagan went ahead while defying the new Congress chief minister in power K Rosaiah, and resigned as the party MP in 2010. Soon after, Jagan took over the reins of the YSR Congress party formed by a fan of his father, and finally led it to its success. One of Y S R Reddy’s poll promises were free electricity and a health insurance programme and reinvigorated a provide rice for Rs 2 per kilo. While his predecessor Naidu concentrated on development, Reddy had successfully countered it with social welfare schemes, winning him two mandates in 2004 and 2009. With populist schemes, YSR soon turned a regional strongman with his stature elevated to that of a messiah --- which only swelled after his accidental death in 2009.

Jagan Reddy’s win marks the rise of the prodigal son

The people of Andhra Pradesh have routed the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as YSR Congress won 21 states in the Lok Sabha polls. They are also leading in one more. TDP on the other hand had won three seats only However, it is to noted that TDP had a vote share of 40% which is very high for a party which barely won any seats. <table style="width:0in;border-collapse:collapse;mso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in"> <tbody><tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-top:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; background:white;padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> Andhra Pradesh </td> <td style="border-top:solid black 1.0pt;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;background:white;padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt; height:10.65pt"> Won/25 </td> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-left:none; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> Leading </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt: solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt;background:white;padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height: 10.65pt"> YSR Congress </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black .5pt;background:white;padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt; height:10.65pt"> 21 </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 1 </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:solid black 1.0pt;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt: solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; background:white;padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> TDP </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-top-alt:#CCCCCC;mso-border-left-alt: #CCCCCC;mso-border-bottom-alt:black;mso-border-right-alt:black;mso-border-style-alt: solid;mso-border-width-alt:.5pt;background:white;padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt; height:10.65pt"> 3 </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 0 </td> </tr> </tbody></table> Assembly elections brought more bad tidings for TDP head Chandrababu Naidu as he lost his Chief Minister's seat as well. Even while counting was underway, Naidu tendered his resignation to the governor late evening yesterday. YSR Congress led by Jagan Reddy is all set to finish the line with 151 seats in its kitty, having won 150 already. TDP has won 21 and debutante Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party has won only a single seat. <table style="width:0in;border-collapse:collapse;mso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in"> <tbody><tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"></td> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-left:none; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> Won/175 </td> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-left:none; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> Leading </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-top:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> YSR Congress </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 150 </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 1 </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-top:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> TDP </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 21 </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 2 </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;border-top:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> Jana Sena </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 1 </td> <td style="border-top:none;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border-right:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid #CCCCCC .5pt; padding:1.0pt 1.5pt 1.0pt 1.5pt;height:10.65pt"> 0 </td> </tr> </tbody></table> As per exit polls At least three exit polls had predicted that Jagan Reddy and his party YSR Congress will overtake the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). While India Today predicted a clear win for YSR-C, a few others believed they will remain head to head. Some even foretold a fractured verdict in the state, as Reddy banked on his late father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy’s legacy to win votes this election. BJP, fielded its own candidates this time, with no partner; was expected to get only one or two seats in this state. Andhra Pradesh went for polling for all its 25 Lok Sabha seats during 2019 general elections and the results are hotly pursued now. The major contenders in the state are the four parties including TDP, YSR Congress, INC and BJP. All these four major political players in the state have adopted their best winning strategies to bag as many seats as possible to send maximum number of representatives to the Lok Sabha. Who the 2019 election results will favor is a question triggering curiosities all over. Kambhampati Hari Babu of Bharatiya Janata Party won from the Visakhapatnam constituency during 2014 general elections. In this constituency, the BJP has now fielded D Purandeshwari. She has waged a tough war with the candidates of other major parties including Ramana Kumari Pedada of Congress, MVV Satyanarayana of YSR Congress and MV Sribharat of the TDP. Again a tough game is seen in the Vijayawada constituency where the BJP has fielded Dilip Kumar Kilaru, Congress has nominated Naraharasetti Narsimha Rao, TDP has nominated Kesineni Srinivas alias Nani and the YSR Congress had sent Potluri Vara Prasad to fight with them. All over the state, the results could bring surprising turns and twists.

Total Recall: YSR is back in Andhra wins 21 seats, routs Naidu

YSRCP winner candidate list for Lok Sabha Election 2019

In the state of Andhra Pradesh, there are 25 seats for the Lok Sabha after the bifurcation of the state after the last Lok Sabha elections. India Today-Axis My India Exit Poll forecast has presumed that Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSR Congress will win from 18 to 20 seats. This scenario might push down the prospects of the TDP in the state for the Lok Sabha with the party scoring only 4 to 6 seats. The Lok Sabha election scenario in Andhra Pradesh witnesses a triangular contest between three parties namely YSR Congress, TDP and movie star Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena. The contesting scenario in Andhra Pradesh is never supportive to the two national parties of BJP and Congress which always depend on the regional parties for their prospects with regard to Lok Sabha seats. Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated into two states with the other one being the Telangana. The division happened after the last Lok Sabha elections and the two states took away 25 and 17 Lok Sabha seats respectively. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections for the parliament, there were 42 seats and the YSR Congress won from 9 out of 42 seats giving 16 seats for the TDP and 3 seats for the BJP. Along with the 2019 Lok Sabha results, Andhra Pradesh is also waiting for its assembly polls results. Two pollsters predict that the YSR Congress of Jaganmohan Reddy will score an overwhelming majority in the assembly consisting of 175 members. The India Today-Axis poll predictions say the party could be winning from 130 to 135 seats in the state elections leaving the TDP with just 37 to 40 seats. As per the People’s pulse predictions, YSR Congress will win 112 seats with the same predictions giving only 59 seats for Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP.

YSR Congress Election Result 2019: YSR to clean sweep Andhra Pradesh as per trends at 12 pm

The <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> isn’t the only party that has emerged victorious in the 2019 general elections. The Yuvajana Shramika Raithu (YSR) Congress, which is led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, is also celebrating a comfortable victory in both the Legislative Assembly and <keyword id="6355187" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections in Andhra Pradesh. And it seems they have someone to thank for that. <keyword id="6388361" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prashant-Kishor">Prashant Kishor</keyword> is the man behind their electoral strategy. The engineering graduate and former UN public health official hails from Bihar. Kishor, who also advised the BJP during its successful general election campaign in 2014 as well as Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU) in 2015, spearheaded the <keyword id="337550" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="YSR-Congress">YSR Congress</keyword>’s campaign this time around. The party handily won all 25 constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 144 out of 175 seats in the Legislative Assembly - a staggering victory by any measure. The 25 seats actually make it the third-largest single party in the Lok Sabha after the BJP and Congress. For the last two years, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party has been working with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the organisation founded by Kishor. I-PAC had a coordinator in every constituency in Andhra Pradesh, providing feedback to the organisation’s leaders on a regular basis. As a result of Kishor’s efforts, YSR Congress will form the government in Andhra Pradesh for the first time, displacing the incumbent chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and his TDP (Telugu Desam Party). SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/ap-andhra-pradesh-assembly-elections-2019-jagan-reddys-win-marks-the-rise-of-the-prodigal-son/articleshow/69462170.cms">Jagan Reddy’s win marks the rise of the prodigal son</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-lok-sabha-elections-2019-counting-and-results-highlights/articleshow/69453349.cms">Narendra Modi has retained India's iron throne and reduced rivals to dust</a>

Here’s an Ivy League alumni who is shaping India’s electoral politics

<ul><li>The first phase of the Indian general election saw multiple outbreaks of violence in different parts of the country.</li><li>At least two separate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were detonated, while others were caught before they could be triggered.</li><li>Andhra Pradesh was a hotbed of political clashes, which also resulted in the death of a <keyword id="83019" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telugu-Desam-Party">Telugu Desam Party</keyword> (TDP) members.</li><li>EVMs were also targets of violence where multiple attempts were made to destroy them, some of which were successful.</li></ul>The first phase of the Indian general election isn’t off the best start. Multiple reports of violence have been <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/violence-reports-of-evm-glitches-and-missing-names-mar-round-one-of-election-2019/articleshow/68835236.cms">reported</a> in 20 states that were up for polling today. Although most of the incidents were centered Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. One of the first reports of violence was an improvised explosive device (IED) attack <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/politics/naxals-trigger-ied-blast-in-chhattisgarhs-bastar-constituency-amid-polling-no-casualty-reported-2098061.html">allegedly</a> by the Naxalites in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh but thankfully, there were no casualties. Similarly, another IED blast by Naxalites <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/maharashtra/maharashtra-naxals-trigger-ied-blast-near-polling-booth/articleshow/68829732.cms">went off</a> in the Waghezari area of the Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra. No casualties were reported their either. An IED was also detected inside an old oil pipeline in Assam but it was removed before it could detonate. Firearms were also <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/4-naxals-arrested-3-firearms-seized-amid-polling-in-chhattisgarh-2021331">seized</a> from four guerrilla Naxalites in Bijapur of Chhattisgarh, while polling was still underway. However, in Andhra Pradesh, clashes between leaders actually led to the <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/andhra-pradesh-sees-violence-during-ls-polls-with-two-leaders-killed-after-tdp-ysrc-party-workers-clash-in-anantapur-6430801.html">death</a> of Sidda Bhaskar Reddy — a local leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) — in Tadipatri. The opposition, <keyword id="302547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="YSR-Congress-Party">YSR Congress Party</keyword> (YSRCP), is alleging that one of their party workers also died in the clashes but the police are yet to confirm. While the TDP <a href="https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/tdp-accuses-ysrcp-leaders-of-violence-writes-to-dgp20190411154129/">accused</a> YSRCP of using violence in an attempt to win the elections, the YSRCP accused TDP was rigging votes and manipulating poll booths. Clashes also broke out in other parts of the state like Eluru City where a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) member was allegedly attacked by members of the TDP and Jammalamadugu of Kadapa district, where both parties were reportedly caught in a stoning match. In another corner of Andhra Pradesh — the Narasaraopet constituency of Guntur — TDP workers were seen ransacking the polling booth and damaging the room. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="ANI" handlename="ANI" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1497864299/ani_mic_logo_normal.jpg" favoritecount="130" retweetcount="48" status="#WATCH Andhra Pradesh: A clash broke out between workers of TDP and YSRCP at a polling station in Srinivasapuram Vi… https://t.co/SyZoNoClpr" createdat="1554979570000" id="1116291344744505345"></div>



 People also tried to forcibly enter the polling booth in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh without their voter IDs compelling the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel to fire shots in the air in order to control the situation. Madhusudhan Gupta from the Jana Sena Party was also arrested for being violent in one of the poll booths of Guntakal — another constituency in Andhra Pradesh — where he tried to destroy an electronic voting machine (EVM) that allegedly did not work properly. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="nagarjund" handlename="Nagarjun Dwarakanath" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1055352036647026688/ce6GjpFT_normal.jpg" favoritecount="36" retweetcount="29" status="Jana Sena candidate smashes EVM in Ananthpur district in Andhra Pradesh. #LokSabhaElections2019 https://t.co/mFwwBYh0UF" createdat="1554954417000" id="1116185843914297344"></div>



 And apparently, Gupta wasn’t the only one to attack an EVM. <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1116346109494996992?s=19">According</a> to the election commission there have been six incidents in Andhra Pradesh, five in Arunachal Pradesh, one in Bihar, two in Manipur and one in West Bengal. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-drones-monitoring-poll-booths-are-cheaper/articleshow/68829523.cms">Drones replace bulky choppers making India's elections fuel efficient</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-evm-issues-in-first-phase-of-voting-in-india/articleshow/68825731.cms">The first day of voting in India is dotted with glitches in the electronic voting machines</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-first-phase-of-polling-citizenship-bill-may-hurt-4-million-people-in-north-east/articleshow/68824120.cms">The north-east of India is voting to decide whether 4 million undocumented people should continue living in India</a>

The first phase of India's Parliamentary elections had its share of explosions, firearms, and bombs

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/31585586.cms" />NDA is likely to get between 212 and 232 seats if the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections were held today, with BJP alone winning between 193 and 213, according to an opinion poll done for a TV channel. The poll, based on a survey of six states, puts the UPA a distant second with 119 to 139 seats, of which <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> was projected to win between 94 and 110. 
 The CNN-IBN poll, conducted by CSDS and Lokniti, made these projections based on surveys in Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword>, Maharashtra, <keyword id="37102" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword>, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> and Delhi. While the seat figures are more or less the same as the projections done by the same pollsters in January, the popularity rating of <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> has dipped significantly. 
 In January, 36% of respondents to the survey had chosen Modi as their preferred PM. That figure is now down to 31%. In contrast, there has been an uptick of one percentage point each in those picking <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> (now 13%), <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword>, <keyword id="6357690" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="mayawati">Mayawati</keyword>, Mulayam Singh and <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword>. 
 
The poll also shows BJP’s projected vote share down marginally from the January estimate and the Congress vote share too down marginally. The saffron party continues to enjoy a significant lead with 33% compared to Congress’ 26%. 
 Apart from the NDA and UPA, the <keyword id="43826" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Trinamool-Congress">Trinamool Congress</keyword> is likely to be the biggest party winning between 20 and 28 seats, according to the survey. <keyword id="120271" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="The-Left">The Left</keyword> with 15-23, AIADMK with 14-20, YSR Congress and <keyword id="6355032" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="SP">SP</keyword> with 11-17 seats each, BJD, TDP and DMK with 10-16 each and BSP with 8-14 could be the other significant players in the 16th Lok Sabha, it projected. 
 
If these projections turn out right, it would almost certainly mean that the next government in New Delhi would be headed by Modi and would be cobbled together by the existing NDA joining hands with smaller regional parties. Neither Congress nor the ill-defined Third Front/Federal Front would really be in a position to take a meaningful shot at forming a government in such a scenario.

Modi's Popularity Dips But NDA Still Leading: Survey

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33891999.cms" />HYDERABAD: The TDP-BJP alliance in Andhra Pradesh, finalized after several twists and turns, is on the verge of collapse, with Chandrababu Naidu seeking the return of four assembly seats allotted to the right-wing party in Seemandhra. Naidu is also learnt to have initiated a telephonic survey with the party cadre seeking their opinion on whether or not to continue with the alliance. 
 These developments followed a controversy over the Rajampet and Narsapur <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> seats that have gone to the <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> as part of the alliance arrangement. The TDP boss is miffed that the BJP nominated his estranged sister-in-law Purandeswari from Rajampet — which is YSR <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> chief Jaganmohan Reddy’s territory. Purandeswari, sources said, was bound to lose from there, but Naidu did not want her to be given any ticket, even a losing one. 
 
Naidu is also upset the BJP has not named “his nominee” Raghu Ram Krishnam Raju from the Narasapur seat. Naidu had promised Raju, a businessman who joined BJP recently after quitting YSR Congress, that he would swing a saffron party ticket for him from this seat. Armed with this promise, Raju was campaigning among voters when he realized the BJP had nominated a VHP man for this seat. 
 Raju, after talks with Naidu, filled three nominations from the seat on Thursday: one each in the name of TDP, BJP and as an independent. Raju does not have a BJP ‘B’ form given to official nominees but is confident of bagging it because of his supposed closeness to party president <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword>. 
 
With the alliance threatening to fall apart, Naidu on Thursday originally planned to cut short his campaigning and return to Hyderabad by night. Naidu also pressed on Rajnath to surrender the four assembly seats in Seemandhra where, according to him, the BJP has fielded “weak” candidates. 
 
The seats are Nellore Rural, Tadepalligudem, Santhananuthalapadu and Rajahmundry Urban. In three of the four seats, rebel TDP candidates filed their nominations on Thursday. Naidu’s men also filed nominations in Paderu, Ichhapuram, Kaikalur, Tadepalligudem, Madanapalle, Kadapa, Araku and Rajole which were actually given to the BJP as part of the seat sharing. 
 Now, Naidu is demanding that these four assembly seats be given back to the TDP so that it can field strong candidates on Saturday, the last day for filing the nominations. No nominations will be accepted on Good Friday as it’s a holiday. In return for the four assembly seats, the <keyword id="58641" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="TDP-chief">TDP chief</keyword> is willing to give the BJP two more MLC nominations. As per the original agreed seat-sharing agreement for Seemandhra, the right-wing party was to get 14 assembly seats, four Lok Sabha seats and two MLC nominations. 
 
BJP representatives said they were fed up with Naidu’s tantrums. They also said Naidu is angry because Modi refused to share the dais with him during his election campaign in Andhra Pradesh. But they said Modi is also uneasy with the “Modi for PM and Naidu for CM” slogans raised by TDP. 
 
However, political analysts said Naidu, out of power for 10 years, is under pressure from his cadres to deliver. In his anxiety to win, he had also nominated many money bags and late entrants from the Congress leading to disenchantment among the cadres.

TDP Threatens To Call Off Alliance With BJP

·In TN, the Congress and DMK combine is expected to win more than 25 seats, according to four out of five polls ·In Andhra, four exit polls predict that YSR-C will win over 15 seats, whereas TDP will be lucky to get ten. ·In Kerala, Congress and UDF are expected to win 15 seats, according to most polls. ·Almost all exit polls suggest that BJP will over 20 seats in Karnataka. <keyword id="58687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP) may be headed for a big win in the Northern states, but in four out five Southern states, it seems to have made fatal mistakes. BJP’s partner limps in Tamil Nadu As per exit polls, in Tamil Nadu, BJP bet on the wrong horse. Their coalition partner, AIADMK (All India <keyword id="294965" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dravida-Munnetra-Kazhagam">Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam</keyword>) is expected to win fewer than 10 seats. Only News 18-IPSOS poll believes they will win 14 seats, while India Today-Axis poll believes they will win anywhere between zero to four! Congress’ partner DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) on the other hand, has been a clear favourite. Four out of five polls say that they will win more than 25 seats, while two of them will say that they will win more than 30 seats. Naidu’s fury Both Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and BJP could have gained from an alliance, a second time around. But that was not to be. TDP head Chandrababu Naidu broke away from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as his state was not given special status. BJP also failed to forge another alliance in the state. Most polls believe that YSR Congress (YSR-C), headed by Jagan Reddy could be a net gainer as electorate is exasperated with BJP and TDP alike. Four exit polls predict that YSR-C will win over 15 seats, whereas TDP will be lucky to get 10. Only Today’s Chanakya believes that TDP will get 17 seats. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which is headed by K Chandrasekhara Rao, known as KCR, is expected to come back with a thumping majority. Rao will hold most seats in hand and will be more valuable for the formation of a federal front, rather than <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/chandrababu-naidu-meets-rahul-gandhi-to-meet-mayawati-akhilesh-in-up/articleshow/69384210.cms">Naidu who has been meeting</a> every non-BJP leader in New Delhi. Kerala’s Temple Run-ins In Kerala too, BJP which had no allies in place, is expected to report a dismal performance, and would be lucky to retain the single seat they won last year. This time around, experts said that there is a <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> wave which vanished after allowing women to enter <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2-women-entered-a-hindu-in-india-breaking-a-decades-long-ban-2019-1?IR=T">Sabarimala temple</a>. BJP’s arch rival Congress which struck a deal with United Democratic Front (UDF) is expected to win 15 seats, according to most polls. The only good news for BJP comes from Karnataka. Almost all the exit polls suggest that BJP will over 20 seats in the current elections, leaving the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular combine with less than half of it.

God did not deliver south India for BJP while a lost friend cost them dear

Jagan Reddy, the head of YSR Congress, has a reason to smile today as at least three exit polls predict that he will overtake the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). While India Today predicts a clear win for YSR-C, a few others believe they will remain head to head. Some even foretell a fractured verdict in the state, as Reddy banks on his late father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy’s legacy to win votes this election. TDP head Chandrababu Naidu broke away from BJP over special status to his state. BJP, which fielded its own candidates this time, might get only one or two seats in this state, polls predict. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">Andhra Pradesh Exit Poll </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">Party Names </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TimesNow - VMR </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">India Today Axis </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">Todays's Chanakya </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TDP (Telugu Desam Party) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">7 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">6 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">17 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">YSR Congress </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">18 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">18 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">8 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">BJP (BHaratiya Janata Party) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">INC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">others </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">1 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td></tr></tbody></table>Business Insider compiled surveys from five reputed sources — Republic-C Voter, NDTV - Hansa, Today's Chanakya, India Today-Axis, and TimesNow - VMR — amongst many others and the final number is an average of these five polls A Telugu speaking state in South India, the total number of registered voters in the state of Andhra Pradesh are 3,66,61,315. This figure comprises of 1,81,80,968 males and 1,84,76,601 females. The number of third gender voters in the state are 3,746. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, TDP won 15 seats, YSRCP was elected from 8 constituencies and BJP bagged 2 seats. In the 2009 elections for the Lok Sabha, the Congress party won 21 seats leaving only 4 seats for the TDP. No other parties could bag any seats in these elections. The performance of the Congress party in the state was slightly lower in 2004 than in 2009. The number of seats claimed from the state by the Congress in 2004 was 16 with TRS winning from 5 seats and TDP securing 2 seats. Andhra Pradesh has 25 Lok Sabha seats to give to the Parliament of India. Andhra Pradesh has 176 assembly constituencies. Among these 25 Lok Sabha seats, 4 are reserved for Scheduled castes and 1 is earmarked for the scheduled tribes. All the 25 constituencies went for polling during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on April 11, 2019 during the first phase of elections in the country. The state also sends 11 Rajya Sabha members.

Andhra Pradesh exit poll results 2019 of Lok Sabha Elections

Checkout Andhra Pradesh winner candidate list from Lok Sabha Election

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 candidate list for Telangana

<ul class="generic-article__summary--ul content--ul"><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">The BJP’s Narendra Modi swept to power on a wave of optimism and a catchy slogan.</li><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">Five years on, an economic slowdown, agrarian distress and rising intolerance have soured the mood</li></ul> India has been holding its general elections in stages since April 11. The seventh and final phase will take place on Sunday. The primary contest is for the 543 seats in India’s lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha. This is one of the largest democratic exercises in the world, with 900 million voters deciding on a new central government for the 1.3 billion-strong South Asian giant. The results are expected on Thursday. <img src="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/05/18/432cfd64-77b7-11e9-933d-71f872cf659b_1320x770_141906.jpg" class="wrapper__img preview-img-item" /> Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows his ink-marked finger after casting his vote. Photo: AFP WHAT IS AT STAKE? Prime Minister <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/narendra-modi" class="link-text">Narendra Modi</a> of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is running for a second term.A former chief minister of Gujarat, he came to power in 2014 with the simple but powerful slogan “ache din aayega” (good days will come). This resonated with voters – especially in the impoverished northern regions – who were angry at the previous administration of the Congress party that had been dogged by scandal. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3010707/india-elections-bjp-may-need-allies-narendra-modi-drove-away" class="link-text">BJP may need the allies Modi drove away </a></h3>As a result, Modi swept to power: the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance coalition won 336 of the Lok Sabha’s 543 seats. The BJP itself won 282 seats – the first time since 1989 that one of India’s political parties had won an outright majority. The other main national political party is Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, grandson of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. This grand old party of India has been progressively weakening across the country and now stands as only one of the many opposition parties, jockeying for power against resurgent regional players. In 2014, Congress did not even win enough seats to be chosen as the official opposition and was almost eclipsed by the AIADMK, a regional party from Tamil Nadu. SO MODI’S A SHOO-IN? Not exactly. Modi’s re-election prospects have arguably been dimmed by the triple threat of an economic slowdown, agrarian distress and concerns about rising intolerance and violence against minorities. His promise in 2014 to create 10 million new jobs a year for India’s burgeoning youth population has not been fulfilled. Moreover, a recent study by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy argued that 11 million jobs were lost last year alone. <img src="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/05/18/201bd3f2-77b9-11e9-933d-71f872cf659b_1320x770_141906.JPG" class="wrapper__img preview-img-item" /> Indian farmers protest in New Delhi in November – their plight has become a major electoral issue. Photo: AP A leaked government survey allegedly showed the unemployment rate to be higher than at any time in the past 45 years. These economic doldrums have largely been blamed on the new Goods and Services Tax imposed by the government and 2016’s botched demonetisation exercise, which took 86.5 per cent of India’s currency out of circulation. The plight of India’s farmers has also become a major electoral issue. Stagnant grain prices, erratic weather and unresolved systemic problems have led to an alarming number of farmer suicides in a country where more than 50 per cent of the population is employed in agriculture. In 2017, the central government told the Supreme Court that 12,000 farmers had committed suicide every year since 2013. The BJP’s use of Hindu nationalist rhetoric, meanwhile, has always been controversial. Its leaders, like the monk-turned-Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, have been accused of using anti-Muslim rhetoric. BATTLEGROUND STATES The outcome of India’s elections often depends on political calculations and issues at the state level. India’s 29 states are highly diverse, both linguistically and ethnically. Five of these states – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu – each send more than 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha, meaning that winning them is essential for either side. The biggest prize among them is Uttar Pradesh, which is one of India’s largest states and has 80 MPs. In 2014, the BJP was largely able to win nationally because it made huge gains in the massive northern state, taking 71 of the seats that were up for grabs. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3010546/communism-india-dead-or-just-waiting-young-saviours" class="link-text">Communism in India: dead or just waiting for young saviours? </a></h3>This time, however, two major local players – the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) – are challenging the BJP. Both the SP and BSP – which have formed an alliance – are strong with the crucial Yadav and Dalit (formerly known as untouchable) castes in the state. While both the SP and BSP won more than 40 per cent of the popular vote in Uttar Pradesh in the last elections, the SP won only five seats because of India’s first-past-the-post electoral system and its lack of an alliance. This time, some pundits expect the SP-BSP alliance to win at least half of the 80 seats on offer, if not more. The BJP’s prospects are also being put to the test in the country’s economically dynamic south, where powerful regional parties are challenging its grip on power. In the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the regional YSR Congress Party and the Telangana Rashtriya Samithi are expected to sweep the polls. Both have openly said that they prefer a third option for government that does not involve either the BJP or Congress. <iframe src="https://widgets.scmp.com/video/video_iframe.php?id=7x7n7k&amp;poster=https%3A//cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/video/images/2019/04/17/thumbnail_sp_india_election.jpg" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="370"></iframe> In India’s southernmost state and its automotive hub, Tamil Nadu, the socialist, Tamil-nationalist Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam seems to be on the cusp of major gains because of anger at both the BJP central government and its local allies, the AIADMK. The BJP is also at risk of shedding seats in the central and western states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where Congress made gains during recent state elections. However, Modi’s party is expected to make nominal gains in eastern India, in states such as Orissa, West Bengal and the seven states that make up the country’s northeast. A major concern in those areas has been allegations of illegal migration from Bangladesh, and the BJP is running a racially charged campaign – playing up local fears of Muslim refugees – to capitalise on this. WHAT WILL ALL THIS MEAN? Assuming the BJP loses ground to regional parties, and the Congress retains its meagre base, India might find itself with a virtually hung parliament. For instance, the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance coalition might be the largest bloc in the Lok Sabha, but still fall short of a majority. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3009682/exploiting-islamophobia-election-winning-tool-india" class="link-text">Exploiting Islamophobia: an election-winning tool in India </a></h3>Regional parties have also been displaying unprecedented acts of solidarity, such as joint rallies featuring all the leaders of large local opposition parties, encouraging the possibility of a non-Congress, non-BJP “third-front” government. So, while the results are far from certain, 2019 might well herald a return to form and the politics India knows best: the proliferation of regional power brokers and complex coalition governments.

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