The YSR Congress Party led by YS Jaganmohan Reddy scored a spectacular victory as  the party is set to bag almost 150  out of the 175 seats in the Assembly and all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the State.

The TDP was reduced to less than 30 seats in the Assembly and may not get a single LS seat. The Jana Sena led by cine star Pawan Kalyan, may just get one seat in the Assembly and none in the LS. The Congress, the BJP, the communists, the BSP and others will end up with zero.

The election result left the TDP leaders shell-shocked and benumbed. Initially, even Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was trailing in the Kuppam constituency in Chittoor district but he regained ground and won the seat with roughly a majority of 30,000. To the relief of the ruling party, even the Deputy Chief Minister, N. Chinnarajappa, retained the Peddapuram seat in East Godavari with a narrow margin.

A notable loser was the Chief Minister’s son and State IT Minister, N. Lokesh from Mangalagiri constituency in Guntur district and along with him several ministers in the State Government also faced defeat. Ashok Gajapati Raju, the senior TDP leader and former Union Civil Aviation Minister, was also losing in the Vizianagaram constituency.

Pawan Kalyan, cine star and the chief of Janasena Party, lost from both the constituencies he contested - Bhimavaram in West Godavari and Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam district.

Jaganmohan Reddy, the leader of the YSR Congress, said, “Due to God’s grace and the blessings of the five crore Andhra people, this unprecedented victory for the YSR Congress Party has become possible. It is a vote for trustworthiness and credibility. I profusely thank the people of the State for the trust they have reposed in me and I shall make every effort to live up to their expectations.”

He said he would implement the “Nava ratnalu” (nine gems) - nine promises - made in the manifesto including total prohibition to be introduced and implemented in the State in three phases. Securing special category status for the State - which the YSR Congress made almost its single-point agenda - is the most important promise by the party and on it hinges its credibility.

Jaganmohan Reddy went on to add, “You shall see. Within six months, you will see my performance and call me a good chief minister.” He added that the swearing-in ceremony would be conducted on May 30 in Vijayawada.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Jaganmohan Reddy in a twitter message and also personally over the phone, it is learnt. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao also hailed the victory.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu sent in his resignation to the State Governor in the evening. Later, he told the media that he would “accept and respect the verdict of the people in all humility.”

He congratulated Prime Minister Modi and Jaganmohan Reddy. Naidu said he would conduct a review meeting, after all the results are announced and then address the media again.

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