Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu is all set to become Chief Minister again when his party returned to power after a ten-year gap, putting up a spectacular performance in Seemandhra assembly elections, drubbing YSR Congress Party with Congress drawing a blank in the 175-member House.
The TDP-BJP combine won 106 seats and YSR Congress bagged 67 in the straight contest that saw Congress stamped out without a trace with all the five Union Ministers falling by the way side.
Kishore Chandra Deo (Araku), M M Pallam Raju (Kakinada), Killi Kruparani (Srikakulam), Panabaka Lakshmi (Bapatla) and Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy (Kurnool) were humbled by TDP and YSRCP rivals.
Former state ministers were also not spared as also Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief N Raghuveera Reddy.
The TDP-BJP alliance was apparently helped by Narendra Modi wave and vigorous campaigning by popular Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan, an ardent fan of the Gujarat Chief Minister.
Jai Samaikyandhra Party of former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, formed on the plank of "united Andhra" came a cropper as it failed to open its account.
Chandrababu Naidu, who had been winning the Kuppam seat in Chittoor district since 1989, retained the segment this time also while YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy emerged victorious in Pulivendula in Kadapa district.
Jagan Mohan Reddy admitted the wave in favour of Modi played a role in his party's defeat in Seemandhra region.
"Narendra Modi factor did play a role and people believed (TDP President) Chandrababu Naidu's false promises," he said.
"We will be in opposition," he added.
