Elections in Andhra Pradesh

In 2014, Andhra Pradesh (Total 294 seats) was bifurcated into Andhra Pradesh (175 seats) and Telangana (119 seats) states.

The first general elections were conducted in Andhra Pradesh in 1956, for 249 constituencies representing 26 Districts. In 2009, the Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly had 294 seats representing 23 districts. From 1956 to 1958 the Andhra Pradesh Legislature was Unicameral and from 1958 when the council was formed, it became bicameral and continued until 1 June 1985 when the Legislative Council was abolished and the Andhra Pradesh Legislature became Unicameral once again, until March 2007 when it was re-established and elections were held for its seats as per The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Bill, 2004.[2]

The Indian National Congress (INC) won a majority of seats at the state level continuously from the formation of the state until 1983 when the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was formed by Actor N.T.Rama Rao, the first non-Congress government in the state. From 1984 to 2004, the politics of the state was essentially a two party system. The INC regained the state from 1989 to 1994.

The TDP formed the state government from 1995 to 2004. In 2004, the INC formed the government again.[3] This government also completed its second term having won the Assembly elections in 2009. The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) was formed in 2008 by Telugu Film Actor Chiranjeevi; that party won the third largest number of seats in the 2009 state assembly elections and then merged into congress. After the death of the chief minister Y. S. Rajashekar Reddy his son Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy came into the lime light. He has resigned from congress after disputes with congress leadership at center. The TDP forms the principal opposition party in the state assembly during this time.

The state had an ongoing sub-regionalist Telangana movement with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) being formed in 2001 on this platform. And under the leadership of K Chandrashekar Rao separate state of Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. Then during next elections TDP had emerged with highest number of seats after fighting the elections with BJP and Pawan Kalyan who was entering politics during that time. Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has formed a new party after resigning from congress named Y. S. R Congress party which was the main opposition from 2014–2019. During this period JanaSena the party of Pawan Kalyan cut ties with TDP due to conflict on special status of Andhra Pradesh which was one of the commitments during the states bifurcation in 2014. Also TDP cut ties with BJP in 2019 for the same reason.

During 2019 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections YSR congress party won with a landslide victory in both elections. Currently TDP is in opposition in the state assembly. JanaSena getting third highest percentage of votes and both BJP and Congress became small parties in Andhra Pradesh

Elections in Andhra Pradesh are conducted by the Election Commission of India whose state level head is the Chief Election Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh, the authority created under the Constitution. It is a well established convention that once the election process commences, no courts intervene until the results are declared by the election commission. During the elections, vast powers are assigned to the election commission to the extent that it can function as a civil court, if needed.

The latest election in Andhra Pradesh were conducted in two phases.[4] All citizens of India above 18 years of age are eligible to enrol as voters in the electoral rolls. It is the responsibility of the eligible voters to enrol. Normally, voter registrations are allowed at latest one week prior to the last date for nomination of candidates.

As of now, India does not have an absentee ballot system. Section 19 of The Representation of the People Act (RPA)-1950[5] allows a person to register to vote if he or she is above 18 years of age and is an 'ordinary resident' of the residing constituency i.e. living at the current address for 6 months or longer. Section 20 of the above Act disqualifies a non-resident Indian (NRI) from getting his/her name registered in the electoral rolls. Consequently, it also prevents an NRI from casting his/her vote in elections to the Parliament and to the State Legislatures.

The Representation of the People (Amendment) 2006 Bill was introduced in the Parliament by Shri Hanraj Bharadwaj, Minister of Law and Justice during February 2006 with an objective to amend Section 20 of the RPA-1950 to enable NRIs to vote. Despite the report submitted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee two years ago, the Government has so far failed to act on the recommendations. The Bill was reintroduced in the 2008 budget session of the Parliament to the Lok Sabha. But no action taken once again.

Several civic society organisations have urged the government to amend the RPA act to allow NRI's and people on the move to cast their vote through absentee ballot system.[6][7]

• Subrata K. Mitra and V. B. Singh. 1999. Democracy and Social Change in India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the National Electorate. New Delhi: Sage Publications. ISBN 81-7036-809-X (India HB) ISBN 0-7619-9344-4 (U.S. HB).
• Subrata K. Mitra, Mike Enskat, Clemens Spiess (eds.). 2004. Political Parties in South Asia. Greenwood: Praeger.
• Subrata K. Mitra/Mike Enskat/V. B. Singh. 2001. India, in: Nohlen, Dieter (Ed.). Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook. Vol. I. Oxford: Oxford University Press

• List of Assembly constituencies of Andhra Pradesh
• List of Lok Sabha Constituencies
• Elections in India
• 49-O Popularly known as 'No Vote'
• List Of All 175 MLA Candidates Who’ve Won In Andhra Pradesh State Assembly Elections 2019

• Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission
• Election Commission of India
• Assembly Elections
• Elections in India History and information
• News Related to 2009 Elections in India
• Social Media Conversations of Indian Elections 2009
• Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha Election 2019
• AP Information in Telugu