Amaravati: The YSR Congress virtually decimated Thursday the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and appeared on course for a landslide win in Andhra Pradesh with its candidates winning in 74 seats and leading in 76 others.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party won in 12 seats and was leading in an equal number while actor-politician Pawan Kalyan’s ‘Jana Sena’ party was ahead in one, according to the latest trends on the Election Commission website.
The YS Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSRC may end up with over a three-fourths majority in the 175-member Assembly. The YSRC Legislature Party will meet here May 25 to formally elect Jaganmohan Reddy as its leader, who will be sworn-in as Chief Minister May 30.
Reddy promised reporters that he would bring in governance that the country would stand up and look to.
Terming his party’s good show in the state Assembly polls and Lok Sabha elections as a ‘new chapter’ in the history of Andhra Pradesh, the incumbent CM told reporters such a massive mandate came with tremendous amount of responsibility. “I will make sure that I live up to the expectations,” added Reddy. The YSRC chief asserted that his fight for securing special category status for Andhra Pradesh would continue.
Seeing the trend, TDP president Chandrababu Naidu forwarded his resignation from the Chief Minister’s post to state Governor ESL Narasimhan, who accepted it.
At a press conference, Naidu said he accepted the verdict of the people and congratulated YSR Congress on its victory in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state.
The first Assembly elections of the residual Andhra Pradesh five years after the bifurcation was held conducted April 11, 2014. The TDP had bagged 102 Assembly seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Reddy over phone and congratulated him. Earlier, he had also posted a congratulatory message to Reddy on Twitter.
“Congratulations of the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure,” Modi said.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also congratulated Reddy over the YSRC’s thumping win in the general elections.
PTI
