PROMINENT LEADERS FACE LITMUS TEST IN SEEMANDHRA

TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu, YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Union Ministers Kishore Chandra Deo, M M Pallam Raju, Panabaka Lakshmi and former minister D Purandeswari are among the prominent candidates in fray for the Seemandhra elections to be held tomorrow. Naidu is seeking re-election from his Kuppam Assembly constituency in native Chittoor district which he has been representing since 1989. Naidu's brother-in-law and top Telugu hero Balakrishna is making electoral foray in the elections as the TDP's nominee from Hindupur in Anantapur district. Jaganmohan Reddy is contesting Assembly polls for the first time from the family stronghold of Pulivendula in native Kadapa district. His mother and YSRCP honorary president Y S Vijayamma is the party candidate from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat. Andhra Pradesh BJP president K Haribabu is Vijayamma's main rival. TDP and BJP have a pre-poll alliance. Kishore Chandra Deo, a senior Congress leader from north-coastal Andhra, is seeking re-election from Araku (ST) Lok Sabha constituency. Union Human Resource Development Minister M M Pallam Raju is contesting again from Kakinada Lok Sabha seat which he won thrice earlier, but is facing a tough battle this time as Congress is believed to be at the receiving end of public anger over "unilateral" bifurcation of AP. Purandeswari, who quit Congress and joined BJP in protest against the division of Andhra Pradesh, is contesting from Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency. Panabaka Lakshmi is fighting the election from Bapatla (SC) parliamentary constituency. More than 3.67 crore voters are set to cast votes in elections to 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies to be held tomorrow in Seemandhra. Polling concluded in Telangana on April 30.