Battle Lines Drawn: Andhra Pradesh Gears Up for High-Stakes Elections

Nara Lokesh, son of TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, and YSRCP MP P V Midhun Reddy were among those who filed their nominations on Thursday for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. A delegation of TDP, BJP, and Janasena leaders submitted two sets of nomination papers on behalf of Lokesh in Mangalagiri. Notable candidates who filed nominations include M Srinivasulu Reddy and L Sri Krishna Devarayalu from TDP, and P V Midhun Reddy from YSRCP.

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena stated that the notification for the elections was issued before 11 am on Thursday as per the guidelines of the Election Commission (EC). The nomination process will be open from April 18 to 25, with scrutiny scheduled for April 26. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until April 29. The polling for the 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly constituencies is set for May 13, with counting of votes on June 4.

Meena mentioned various measures taken for smooth conduct of elections, including the appointment of special observers, police observers, and expenditure observers. Additionally, 5.26 lakh government personnel will be deployed for election duty, and webcasting will be implemented in critical polling stations. Measures like end-to-end webcasting of liquor movement and setting up Media Certification and Monitoring Committees have been adopted to ensure fair elections. The EC has also seized inducements worth Rs 122 crore since the announcement of the election schedule.