Andhra Pradesh Exit Poll Results 2024: Axis My India has predicted a massive loss of Lok Sabah seats for the ruling YSRCP of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh. As per the exit polls, the YSRCP's seat tally may come down from 22 in 2019 to 2-4 in 2024 even as it may emerge as the single largest party in the state with 41 per cent vote share.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is projected to corner the majority of 13-15 seats, and its ally the BJP is expected to bag 4-6 - a huge fillip for a party that recorded less than one per cent of votes in 2019 with zero seats. The BJP is contesting only 6 seats in Andhra, and if it wins 4-6, its strike would be 80-100 per cent - no mean feat.
Axis My India's Pradeep Gupta pointed out the reasons that may have cost Jagan his power in Andhra. "Two-three things happened in the past one year. I would say the biggest thing is - the arrest of Chandrababu (Naidu)," he said while decoding the exit poll numbers of Andhra for India Today.
"Whatever brand equity or the goodies has gathered by the Jagan Mohan Ready government by virtue of delivery of social welfare schemes - that is all gone away just because of one mistake of the arrest of Chandrababu Naidu," Gupta said.
The Axis My India chief suggested that the arrest of Chandrababu Naidu pushed him towards stitching an alliance with Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena and the BJP. He said after the arrest of Naidu, Pawan Kalan went to him and then the saffron party and Jana Sena allied with the TDP. "This becomes a very formidable alliance. And, on the other hand, the YSRCP always thinking and trying to keep a distance from the BJP. In fact both the parties (kept a distance), TDP in the initial stage."
But after the arrest, Gupta said, things totally changed, and "Chandrababu Naidu came on his knees". "He gave away six seats to the BJP out of 25 seats to contest. This is also good news and the big news," the top psephologist said.
In September last year, less than a year before the state was scheduled to go for a poll, the Andhra Pradesh CID arrested Chandrababu Naidu in connection with the alleged Rs 300 crore scam linked to Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC). He was granted bail in October. Naidu walked out of the jail after 53 days.
Axis My India will today release the exit poll numbers for the assembly elections in Andhra. If exit poll results for Lok Sabha elections turn out to be true, then it can safely be said that Jagan may not retain power in Andhra. Political strategist Prashant Kishor has already predicted that Jagan is heading for a massive defeat.
In 2019, the YSRCP had bagged 151 of 175 seats with nearly 50 per cent votes.
Counting for 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra will take place on June 4.