New Delhi:
TDP leader Chinta Bhaskar Reddy was killed and several injured during clashes outside a polling booth in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantpur on Thursday. Andhra Pradesh is voting fort the Lok Sabha as well as Assembly elections simultaneously. According to ANI, Reddy was killed in clashes in Tadipatri town of Anantapur. The Telegu Desam Party has alleged that the political rival YSR Congress workers were behind the incident. The Hindu has said that Reddy hacked to death near polling booth No 197 at Tadipatri’s Veerapuram.
In Andhra Pradesh, strong anti-incumbency, caste and corruption are the major factors that could determine the outcome of the elections to Lok Sabha and the state assembly as over 3.93 crore voters get to exercise their franchise. This is the first general election in the state after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
Polling for all 25 Lok Sabha and 175 assembly seats will be held simultaneously. There are 2,118 candidates for the state polls and 319 for the Lok Sabha elections. TDP chief and CM N Chandrababu Naidu will be seeking election from Kuppam, while his son Nara Lokesh is making his electoral debut from Mangalagiri. YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, an aspirant for the CM's post, is fighting from his family's pocketborough Pulivendula.
In 2014, the TDP won 101, YSRC 68, BJP four, Navodayam Party one and an Independent one in the state polls. In Lok Sabha seats, the TDP bagged 15, YSRC eight and BJP two.
