Phase-II of polling in Andhra Pradesh today

Crucial second phase polling for 147 Assembly and 21 Parliamentary constituencies spread across nine coastal Andhra and four Rayalaseema districts in Andhra Pradesh is being held on Monday.

The ruling Telugu Desam party is fighting its bitterest ever electoral battle to retain its hold over the Andhra region as trends show a clear edge for the Congress in the Telanagana and Rayalaseema regions.

The TDP's hopes of staging a comeback in AP have been kept alive by the fact that 103 out of 147 Assembly segments in the second phase of polling are represented by TDP in the dissolved Assembly while the Congress won only 41 Assembly segments. The TDP-BJP holds the 19 (15-TDP, 4-BJP) of the 21 Lok Sabha seats.

Sensing the tough situation from the opposition candidates, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has personally monitored the campaign in each of these segments beside sharpening the tirade against the Congress party by showing it as a potential threat to the interests of the Andhra region if it was voted to power.

With candidates from either side known for their wealthy background, cash and liquor were flowing in the affluent coastal region more than anywhere else in the state.

The TDP is expected to get a majority of the seats in the three north coastal Andhra districts while the Congress-TRS combine is expected to sweep Telangana in the first phase of elections held on April 20.

Even while the TDP appears to be holding its grip over Kurnool district, the Congress is said to have greatly improved its electoral prospects in the remaining three Rayalaseema districts.

According to an assessment, Congress candidates have a clear edge in seven of the eight Parliamentary seats in Rayalaseema. Losses are also expected for TDP with regard to Assembly segments from this region.

Irrespective of the poll predictions, both the parties have expressed the confidence that they will get a majority of the seats in the second phase.

Interestingly some last minute surveys are now predicting a landslide victory for the TDP-BJP combine. But several coastal districts, which include Krishna, Guntur, Nellore and Prakasham are expected to provide major gains for the Congress party.

The East and West Godavari districts, which together have more than 30 assembly seats are still considered to be the strongholds of TDP.