Tide turns for Chandrababu Naidu as TDP-led alliance set for big win in Andhra

The Telugu Desam Party-led alliance looked to be heading towards a comprehensive victory in the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, leading in 150 out of 175 seats. The party is also leading in 21 out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

This is likely to bring TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu back as chief minister, just months after he was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh CID in connection with an alleged scam in the AP Skill Development Corporation during his last tenure.

His party’s performance in the Lok Sabha elections will also make him an important player nationally at a time when the BJP looks unlikely to cross the majority mark by itself for the Lok Sabha.

Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSRCP, which had won the 2019 Assembly polls by a landslide with 151 seats, is currently leading in only 20, with most of its ministers trailing, and only Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and his senior ministerial colleague Botcha Satyanayarana leading – in Pulivendula and Cheepuripalle respectively.

The TDP, which had won only 23 seats last time, is currently leading in 128 seats on its own. Its ally Jana Sena Party, which only had one seat last time, is now leading in 19 of the 21 seats it contested. The BJP, which is also part of the alliance, is leading in six of the 10 seats it fought from.

Naidu is leading in Kuppam, while JSP chief K Pawan Kalyan is leading in Pithapuram.

The headquarters of the ruling YSRCP at Tadepalle wore a deserted look Tuesday as the supporters who had gathered there gradually left as the trends came in.

Except for Prakasam district, where the YSRCP was leading in eight of the 12 Assembly seats, the TDP was dominating in all the remaining districts, including the 34 seats in combined districts of East