AP cliffhanger : Jagan gives jolt… But Naidu may return as CM

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu may get another term in the state, but his dream to play kingmaker at the Centre is unlikely to take off with YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy making significant dent in the Lok Sabha elections, according to most exit polls.

The News18-IPSOS exit poll survey has predicted that the YSRCP will be able to win 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, eclipsing the TDP tally of 11 seats.

The Republic-C Voter survey has predicted a win for TDP with 14 Lok Sabha seats followed by YSRCP with 11 Lok Sabha seats and zero seats for NDA and UPA, while the India Today Axis poll has given TDP Lok Sabha 4-6 seats and YSRCP Lok Sabha 18-20 seats.

The Chanakya-News24 poll has predicted a win for TDP with 17 Lok Sabha seats while YSR is pegged at winning 8 Lok Sabha seats.

As far as Assembly polls are concerned, at least two exit polls have predicted that Naidu has done enough to get another term as CM, while one has predicted a big win for the YSRCP.

Lagadapati Rajagopal Survey has predicted 90-110 Assembly seats to the TDP, followed by 65-79 to YSRCP and others would get anywhere between 1-5 seats.

India Today Axis Poll, on the other hand, has forecast 37-40 for the TDP, 130-135 for the YSRCP, and a maximum of one seat for others.

If Chandrababu Naidu does return to power, it would be a remarkable comeback as he faced several challenges in the election, the first to be held in the state following its bifurcation in 2014.

A strong anti-incumbency, caste and corruption were the major factors when voters marched to polling booths for the simultaneous election on April 11.