Why AP Opted For Chandrababu

Both Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan assured voters that they would bring jobs and industrial development to the state.
Their alliance batted for a welfare-plus-development model.

Andhra Pradesh witnessed a strong comeback by the Telugu Desam Party on Tuesday when the TDP-Jana Sena Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance won 164 of the total 175 seats in the state.

While the TDP won 135 seats, Telugu film star Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party won 21 seats, and the BJP eight seats.

The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party won 11 seats compared to the thumping majority of 151 seats it had in 2019.

The TDP had won only 23 seats, and the Jana Sena only one seat during the 2019 assembly polls.

The state is set to see the return of N Chandrababu Naidu as its chief minister for the fourth time, and the second time after bifurcation in 2014. He is reportedly gearing up to take the oath on June 9.

The TDP won 16 of the state's 25 Lok Sabha seats, becoming a key force nationally (the BJP won three seats, the Jana Sena two).

Naidu won the Kuppam constituency, defeating the YSRCP's K R J Bharath by 48,006 votes.

Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan won the Pithapuram assembly seat by a margin of 70,279 votes.

On the other hand, YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy won the election in the Pulivendula assembly constituency, defeating his TDP rival Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy by 61,687 votes.

Interestingly, in terms of vote share, the TDP got 45.57 per cent, compared to its 39.17 per cent in 2019.

On the other hand, the YSRCP saw its share dipping from 49.95 per cent in the last elections to 39.45 per cent in the 2024 assembly polls.

The other major gainer was the BJP, which saw its share increase from 0.84 per cent to 2.82 per cent.

'We were supporting the people with many schemes. Although we did good to the people, we were defeated,' Reddy said at a press conference.

The Jana Sena and Pawan Kalyan became a clear 'Man of the Match' with a 100 per cent strike rate by winning all the 21 seats it contested.

'You truly are the game changer of this election. You are the Man of the Match! Your deep concern for the people of Andhra Pradesh, your foresight, your heartfelt desire for the state's development, your sacrifices, and your political strategies have manifested in this terrific result. I am simply proud of you! Heartiest congratulations,' said veteran actor Chiranjeevi of his younger brother Pawan Kalyan.

According to political experts, several factors worked against the YSRCP during the current elections.

This included his increased thrust on welfare scheme implementation over governance and infrastructure development.

On the other hand, both Naidu and Kalyan reached out to people, assuring them that they would bring jobs and industrial development to the state.

The alliance batted for a welfare-plus-development model.

Another factor that worked against the YSRCP was the state's inability to come out with a capital even after 10 years.

The non-existence of a capital, 10 years after the state was bifurcated, seems to have played on the minds of the voters.

Although Naidu had floated and planned Amaravati as its new capital, Reddy derailed it by floating the three-capital theory.

In addition to this, Naidu's arrest in September 2023 also resulted in creating a feeling in favour of the TDP stalwart.

On Thursday, June 6, Naidu held a meeting with the 16 newly elected TDP MPs in Amaravati.

• India Votes 2024