TDP's Sribharat Mathukumili win Andhra Pradesh's Vishakapatnam by huge margin

Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) Sribharat Mathukumili won against YSRCP's Jhansi Lakshmi Botcha, by a huge margin of over 4.5 lakh votes.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP)'s Sribharat Mathukumili won against Jagan Mohan Reddy led YSRCP's candidate Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi by a huge margin of over five lakh votes, the Election Commission of India (ECI) website reported.

Visakhapatnam, Apr 23 (ANI): YSR Congress Party candidate Botsa Jhansi Lakshmi files her nomination papers from the Vizag constituency for the Lok Sabha Polls, in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)(ANI)

Lakshmi is the wife of state education minister Botsa Satyanarayana, while 35-year-old Sri Bharat is president of the Visakhapatnam-based Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (deemed to be university).

With over 1,829,300 voters, the seat went to the polls in the fourth phase on May 13 and recorded a voter turnout of 71.1%, higher than the 67.4% recorded in 2019.

In 2019, YSRCP candidate MVV Satyanarayana emerged victorious from the seat with a narrow margin of 0.36% votes, defeating Telugu Desam Party’s Bharat Mathukumilli. Since 1962, the seat has traditionally swung between the Congress and TDP.

However, in the past two Lok Sabha elections held in 2014 and 2019, the constituency went to BJP and YSRCP, respectively.

Among the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam being a cosmopolitan city and headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command is a crucial powerhouse that has influence in Indian politics.

In 2019 across the state, YSRCP, led by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, won 22 seats, while the TDP could only win three seats.

In the run-up to the 2024 general elections, TDP sealed a pre-poll alliance with the Jana Sena Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. During the campaign, YSRCP emphasised the backward category card, highlighting Jhansi's belonging to the community. Her education and extensive experience as a parliamentarian were also seen as significant advantages.

Meanwhile, TDP ran a door-to-door campaign, with Bharat promoting six key promises from his party, such as ₹4,000 pension for elderly people, ₹15,000 assistance under Talliki Vandanam, three free LPG refills per year, and free travel on APSRTC services.

Various exit polls on May 1 predicted victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Andhra Pradesh in the state assembly and Lok Sabha polls.