Undivided AP to see last election

Undivided Andhra Pradesh will see its last elections to the Assembly on April 7 and Lok Sabha on April 30 with its bifurcation being set for June 2 to form the Telangana state.

After the declaration of the poll results on May 16, the two states – Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh – will have their new Assemblies in place on June 2.

The Union Home Ministry had on Tuesday night announced that June 2 will be the “appointed day” for Telangana, which comprises 10 out of the total 23 districts in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

“The moment the two states are created, an MLA whose constituency falls in the new state of Telangana will automatically be the member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly,” Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said.  

Sampath explained that irrespective of the appointed day for the creation of the new state of Telangana, elections will be held to the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies as they exist today.

The corresponding Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies would go to the respective states once the bifurcation process is complete.

Andhra Pradesh has 42 parliamentary seats and 294 Assembly seats, while Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly constituencies. Rayalaseema and the coastal Andhra regions, jointly called Seemandhra, have 25 Lok Sabha constituencies and 175 Assembly seats. 

In the two-phase elections, Telangana region will go to polls on April 30 and Seemandhra on May 7. 

At present, Andhra Pradesh is under the President’s rule .