Both TDP, YSRCP confident of victory after high turnout

With about 77 per cent polling in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, both the TDP and YSRCP on Friday exuded confidence of forming the next government in the state and winning a majority of Lok Sabha seats.

While the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was confident of people giving it a massive mandate for another term, the main opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was equally sure of a landslide victory.

Violence and malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) marred the poll process on Thursday, resulting in the polling continuing in some booths till midnight.

The main contenders of power claimed that the high voting percentage will work in their favour. They also blamed each other for the violence that left two people dead and many injured.

Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu told party leaders during a video conference early on Friday that the polling trend made it clear that people were with the TDP.

He believes the enthusiasm shown by voters, especially women and the aged, was a clear indication of 'pro-incumbency'. Naidu said that TDP will win 130 seats in 175-member Assembly and will also bag 20-22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.

TDP leaders said the welfare schemes, especially pensions for the aged and widows and financial assistance provided to female self-help groups, would help them retain power.

The ruling party said despite the failure of the Election Commission in making proper arrangements for the polling and malfunctioning of a large number of EVMs, voters stood in long queues for hours to vote.

The YSRCP, on the other hand, claimed that the massive turnout reflected the strong anti-incumbency wave. It alleged that TDP tried to prevent high polling but people still came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

YSRCP President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy told the media that going by the high polling percentage, the party was poised for a landslide win.

"Chandrababu has shown no grace in the retreat and tried his best to stall the voting percentage and levelled serious allegations against the Election Commission," he said.

YSRCP leaders say Jagan's state-wide 'padyatra' and the party's clear stand on the special category status for the state created positive vibes for the party and resulted in people in large numbers participating in the election process.

In 2014, the TDP won 102 Assembly seats while its then ally Bharatiya Janata Party bagged four seats. The YSRCP had won 67 seats.

In the Lok Sabha polls, the TDP-BJP combine won 17 seats (TDP 15, BJP 2) while YSRCP secured eight seats.

The difference of votes polled by TDP-BJP combine and YSRCP was just above 2 per cent in both the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

--IANS

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