The simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha election to be held in Andhra Pradesh on May 13 is being called the “mother of all elections”, with a mix of revenge politics, alliance dynamics, family drama, populist welfare schemes and the evergreen caste factor adding spice to the contest.
It’s a do-or-die battle for most major players in the State, including the ruling YSR Congress as well as the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP), both constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). For any of these regional parties, unlike for the BJP, it will be hard to sustain themselves in the Opposition for the next five years. The Congress is eyeing a nascent revival and hopes to play spoiler in some areas.
The fight is evenly poised between the two main opponents. There is some anti-incumbency against the YSR Congress and voter turnout will be a key factor. While the YSR Congress appears to have an edge in rural and tribal areas due to its welfare initiatives, the NDA seems to be doing better in the urban segments.
