Celebrations broke out in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) camp as the tripartite alliance headed by the party is set to form the government in Andhra Pradesh with a thumping majority.
After getting a massive mandate in the assembly polls that no other party witnessed even during the combined Andhra Pradesh after independence, TDP workers began bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets.
A festive atmosphere was prevailing at the TDP headquarters as the leaders and workers joined the celebrations. TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu remained the center of attraction both in state politics and also in national politics after these results. He is likely to take oath as the new chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth time on June 9, party sources said.
In the history of Andhra Pradesh till now no one took oath as Chief Minister four times. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of the combined state also. While TDP has won a record number of 135 seats, its allies Jana Sena winning all 21 seats emerged as the second largest party in the assembly. Another ally BJP has won 8 out of 10 seats it contested.
Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who claimed `why not 175’ indicating his ambition of `no opposition assembly’ like in Nagaland, was finished to 11 seats even forgiving a chance to claim as a recognised opposition leader.
Except Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, all other ministers in his cabinet were defeated. In eight erstwhile combined districts, the party failed to open its account. Even in his fortress Rayalaseema region it fared very badly. In his own Kadapa district he was confined to three seats.
Apart from forming his government later this week, Chandrababu Naidu is also now to play a key role in the formation of the NDA government at the center after BJP failed to get a majority of seats on its own. He will be participating in the NDA meeting later on Wednesday.
