YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is heading for a landslide victory in the assembly elections and a spectacular performance in the Lok Sabha elections, leads from Andhra Pradesh indicate. Of the 175 assembly seats in the state, he is ahead in 150, compared to the 26 of the ruling Telugu Desam Party.
The majority mark in the assembly stands at 88. He is also leading in 23 of the state's 25 seats. The Telugu Desam Party of Chandrababu Naidu is leading in only two.
For Chandrababu Naidu, who walked out of the NDA after last year's budget, the outlook could be grim.
It was Jaganmohan Reddy's push for the statehood issue that's said to be at the bottom of Chandrababu Naidu's move to part company with the BJP and join the opposition camp.
In view of Mr Reddy's record-breaking padyatras, there were questions why the Chief Minister, despite being closer to the Centre, could not get the Special Category status promised to Andhra Pradesh during the bifurcation of Telangana.
Counting of votes started this morning for the 543 seats of the Lok Sabha. Early leads show Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP has crossed 300 seats.
