Assembly Elections 2019: Single-Phase Voting Concludes in Andhra, Arunachal and Sikkim, 1 of 4 Phases in Odisha | Updates

Assembly Elections 2019: Polling in Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha is underway.

New Delhi: The voting for single-phase assembly elections 2019 in Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and one of four phases in Odisha concluded on April 11, Thursday.

In Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha, assembly polls to 175, 32 and 28 seats, respectively, were held simultaneously with Lok Sabha elections 2019 in the first phase.  (Click here for full coverage on Lok Sabha Polls)

Meanwhile, voters from 91 parliamentary constituencies went to polls in the first phase on Thursday to elect a new government. (Also Read: Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Election 2019: Key Contenders, Constituencies; All You Need to Know)

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Election 2019

The state went to polls to constitute the fifteenth Legislative Assembly.

The voting took place on 175 seats in a single phase to elect the new government. The current Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) faces a stiff challenge from newly formed YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, son of former Andhra chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy who died in a chopper crash in 2009 while being the Congress chief minister of the state.

A worker from the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and another of the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) were killed in violence in Anantapur and Chitoor districts. More than a dozen others including senior TDP leader and Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao were injured in clashes at various places.

Complaints of non-functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and resultant delay at the start of polling were received from across the state.

Chief Minister and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his unhappiness over EVMs not functioning at several polling booths. He wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, demanding repoll in 150 booths.

Odisha Assembly Election 2019

Of the total 147 Assembly seats, 88 are general, 25 are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 34 are for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. At present, the BJD occupies 118 Assembly seats, Congress 16, BJP 10, Independent and others 3. The state is witnessing a triangular contest between the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

Arunachal Assembly Election 2019

Arunachal Pradesh has 60 assembly seats. The state is witnessing a triangular contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the National People’s Party and Congress.

Current Chief Minister Pema Khadu is leading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. However, he changed his affiliations twice after becoming the chief minister. Originally from the Congress party, Kandhu later joined the Peoples Party of Arunachal and eventually became a BJP member. In the 60-seat current assembly, the running BJP has 36 members, the National People’s Party 16 and Congress 6. There are 2 independent MLAs in the state. Chief Minister Pema Khandu contested from the Mukto assembly seat.

Sikkim Assembly Election 2019

The state underwent polls to elect the 32 members of Legislative Assembly. Notably, the term of Sikkim Legislative Assembly ends on May 27, 2019.

Sikkim has been a stable state as its Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has been ruling the north-east state since 1994. Chamling has equalled the record of Jyoti Basu for being the chief minister for 5 consecutive terms in any state. Earlier, Jyoti Basu served West Bengal as the chief minister for 5 continuous terms.

The results of state assemblies will be declared on May 23, 2019, along with Lok Sabha polls.